Everything takes longer than expected in India, but some things are worth waiting for. Four days after a decision was expected to be made, the Indian Government today announced that they are rejecting Vedanta's plans for a bauxite mine in the Niyamgiri hills.As reported in The Hindu, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said:
“There has been a very serious violation of [the] Environment Protection Act, Forest Conservation and Rights Acts by the Orissa Government and Vedanta’s bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri Hills.”The Hindustan Times summarised the panel's key findings here.
Survival and ActionAid are both rightly celebrating the role they've played in ensuring that the inhabitants of this land got their voices heard.
It's the result the Dongria Kondh wanted. For people like this mother and her son, who I met in a tribal village recently, it's also a sign that, against all odds, they do have a say in what happens to the land they call home.
No comments:
Post a Comment