The interview came in Orissa Diary (http://www.orissadiary.com/) on 15th June 2011
Prevent possible genocide in proposed POSCO area of Orissa: Dr B D Sharma
By Pradeep Baisakh
Dr B D Sharma
Dr. B D Sharma, former Chairperson of SC/ST Commission, President, Bharat Jana Andolan and an authoritative voice on tribal issues visited proposed POSCO area in Jagatsingpur district on 7th June 2011 to witness the people's protest against the forceful land acquisition by the police. He visited Govindpur village under Dhinkia Panchayat, the bastion of POSCO Pratirodha Sangram Samiti (PPSS), an outfit leading the anti POSCO struggle for last six years and also saw the police preparedness (about 20 platoon of force is camping there) in the area. Dr Sharma speaks exclusively to Pradeep Baisakh, Senior Editor, OrissaDiary.com and expresses concern over the tensed situation prevailing due to heavy presence of police force in the area.
Q: You visited the Govindpur village under Dhinkia Panchayat, supposed to be the bastion for anti-POSCO movement. What is your observation?
A: The police have arrived in the area with full force and is organising flag marches. This is basically to threaten people to leave the area. The police are now strategising their next move. But the people there are too determined to be intimidated. They are resolved to protect their land by protesting in democratic manner.
Q: On several occasions of land acquisition, like in case of Kalinga Nagar (for TATA steel) in 2006 and in Maikanch (in Kashipur for Utkal Alumina) the state has used force leading bloodshed and loss of lives. Do you apprehend such situation here also?
A: Nothing can be ruled out given the situation now arising out of deployment of heavy police force in Govindpur village. The people are known to have opposed the project for last six years. Despite that if the state decides for forceful eviction leading to any untoward incidence then this will not be termed as mere police action but'genocide'. If you do not anticipate a situation and opens fire to control the crowd leading to loss of life, then that is different. But in this case where you know that people will not leave their land and still you open fire at them, then its genocide. Moreover people in Dhinkia and other Panchayats are democratically protesting.
Q: Jairam Ramesh, the Minister of state for Environment and Forest, GoI gave the environmental clearance to POSCO project ignoring the findings and recommendations of the expert committees appointed by him. How far is that justified?
A: His own appointed committees like Saxena and Meena Gupta committees have given reports of violation of forest rights act and other laws like coastal zone regulations etc by the state government and recommended for withdrawal of all the clearances (Saxena committee and majority of Meena Gupta committee) granted to the project. Despite that if he is giving clearance to the project then it seems that he is influenced. Even though the Minister is under no legal obligation accept the recommendations of the expert committees, but the norm is that the Minister should go through the suggestions carefully and decide accordingly.
Q: The Environment Minster, while pronouncing the final order, heavily depended on the argument of the state government that "Faith and trust is an essential pillar of cooperative federalism". (This was on the issue whether there were Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) present in the area, which the state government denies) Should federalism be based on rule of law or trust and faith?
A: It is obviously the rule of law and the provisions of Constitution that determine the federal character. Faith and trust do not count when it comes to the issue of implementation of laws passed by Parliament (Forest Rights Act, 2006) by the state government.
Q: Is there no scope for peaceful industrialisation? What is the way out for POSCO?
A: The Bhuria Committee on tribal self rule has given extensive recommendations on how the state should include the community as the stake holders in the industrial ventures. The government should hold talks with the people who are losing land and are going to be directly or indirectly affected by the project. Some solution will emerge. Peaceful industrialisation is possible by debates and holding discussion. But if the government depends on using force against its own people for ushering industry driven development, then how it can be peaceful.
Q: The Naveen Patnaik government is going ahead with its pursuit of aggressive industrialisation and has signed above 85 MoUs without any proper estimation of the requirement of land, water and forest and how they would be acquired. This is despite criticism from several quarters. The state has not dithered to use brutal force against its own people while favouring corporate. Despite all these it has bounced back to power with a thumping majority for the third time! Has the representative democracy failed in India to ensure accountability of the government?
A: Yes, it has. Unfortunately, in the representative form of democracy as is being operating in India, the real owners i.e. the people get only one chance to decide in every five years. After a government is elected, it takes the people for granted and pursues its own agenda, which is many a time contrary to the overall interest of people. This is not how representative democracy should function. But unfortunately, it so functions here.
[The author is the Senior Editor, Orissa Diary. He can be contacted through e mail: 2006pradeep@gmail.com ]
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