In Orissa and in Madhya Pradesh, state forces are being used to perpetrate violence against communities opposing government policies. Is this becoming a norm? Its time to call and ask the governments what they are thinking!

Police fired on 4000 adviasis in Ghateha village in Teothar Tehsil in the Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh. The firing took place on April 19, 2007 under the supervision of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), the Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) and the Circle Officer. The police fired tear gas shells on the adivasis from 1500 families, mercilessly beat down women and burnt and completely demolished houses belonging to the villagers in an inhuman effort by the Forest Department to evacuate them from the land that the adivasi families have been living on for more than 3 years.

It is unfortunate that no English newspaper has carried any news about this incident. You can take action by signing this petition or calling authorities and demanding an explanation ( information here).

Meanwhile, in Orissa, villagers opposed to POSCO's steel plant in Jagatsinhpur district of Orissa are now at the receiving end of state violence. Fearful of the consequences of allowing Government surveyors access to their lands, villagers of Dhinkia, Nuagaon and Garakuchang have barricaded themselves inside their villages, thereby restricting public access to the proposed project areas.

12 platoons of force, camping in Kujang, waited on Wednesday for further instructions from the police headquarters in Cuttack. All this while, anti-Posco activists—especially in Dhinkia panchayat—unanimously resolved to face any consequences without diluting their opposition to the steel project coming up in the region.

The sentiment, very clearly, is against the setting up of the giant steel smelter and captive port. However, the State Government egged on by a Prime Minister who has extended his personal blessings to the project is keen to get on with the POSCO project at any cost.

With statutory public hearing around corner, the Government has deployed fifteen platoons of paramilitary armed to the teeth. On 9 April, paramilitary forces staged a flag-march aimed to intimidate local opposition. The State Administration has chosen to hold the Public Hearing, as a mere formality, at Kuchang the stronghold of the ruling BJD party.

According to local reports, the area is crawling with paid henchmen and cadre of the ruling party. With the multinational POSCO, the State Government, the paramilitary and the BJD henchmen lined on one side against farmers, fisherfolk and workers opposed to POSCO on the other, the stage is set for a repeat of Nandigram.

You can call the government of Orissa or sign a petition to demand democratic processes be followed in resolving this conflict.