January 1-15, 2007

On December 9, police brutally lathi-charged, tear-gassed and fired upon thousands of tribal people of the Karchham-Wangtoo area of Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh. The tribals had rallied at the site of the hydel power project being constructed by the Jaypee group of companies, to protest against the devastating consequences of the project. Twenty Six people were severely injured due to the police brutality, out of which Two received bullet injuries and are reported to be in critical condition. The police arrested six prominent leaders of the movement and sent them to judicial custody .

The 1000 MW Karcham-Wangtoo hydel project on the river Sutlej is believed to be one of the biggest private hydel power projects in the country. In this project, a18.5 km long diversion tunnel is proposed to be constructed, involving an investment of Rs.5500 crore.

Right from the time of its proposal, the project has been fiercely resisted by the local tribal communities. The panchayats of the five villages in this predominantly tribal area, Chagaon, Urni, Runang, Meru and Yula, as well as panchayats of neighbouring villages have also opposed the construction of this hydel project by refusing to give the mandatory ‘no objection certificate’.

The local communities of this region have been resisting the proposed hydel project for the past several years, as they fear that it will directly or indirectly damage their environment and sources of livelihood. The massive scale of digging, tunneling, blasting and heavy construction at the dam site is leading to acute deforestation, destruction of the local agriculture, flora and fauna, depletion of perennial drinking water sources, devastating landslides, etc. In the past, several villages have been destroyed due to landslides caused by the underground tunneling and heavy blasts at the hydel project site.

Activists of several mass organizations in Himachal Pradesh have united under the banner of the Himalaya Policy Campaign Committee (HPCC), calling upon the central and state governments to order an immediate halt to the construction work of the Karcham-Wangtoo Project. They are demanding a judicial inquiry into the police firing of December 9, trial and punishment of the guilty police officers, as well as immediate release of all persons arrested and withdrawal of cases against them.

The struggle of the tribal people of Kinnaur against the devastation of their homes, livelihood and environment is part of the innumerable struggles being waged by people in different parts of the country, in defence of their land, natural resources, livelihood and rights. People’s Voice condemns the brutal police attack on the tribals of Kinnaur and fully supports their just struggle.