Orissa government used oppressive police action to push back over 1000 people protesting the POSCO project. The police now plan to move in further to decimate the opposition.

Related Links

Orissa: An Economic Scam Coming?
Fear of Attack on Anti-POSCO Movement
Who will gain from the POSCO Project in Orissa?
Govt Arrest Leader Opposing POSCO

‘More than 100 villagers injured, the condition of 5 persons is serious and 18 persons including 5 women got arrested by the Police under the direct supervision of Orissa Chief Minister’- POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS)

May 3, 2010: Bijay Kumar Patnaik, IAS, Principal Secretary to CM returned back from South Korea after 15-days’ visit. PPSS leader Abhay Sahu alleges that on behalf of Chief Minister, he has represented to settle the ‘deal’ with POSCO Company and the entire cost of his visit was borne by the POSCO
May 11, 2010 - 25 platoon of Police forces, 5 ambulances and 3 magistrates enter into the area and forcefully occupied the nearby school campuses.
May 14, 2010 – Police made flag-march from Kujang to Balitutha.
4.00 AM: Bibhu Prasad Tarai, Member of Parliament (MP) of Jagatsinghpur from CPI was detained and put at Circuit house at Kujang at 2AM (mid-night of May 15) on his way to Dhinkia.
7.00 AM: Around 600 villagers sat in dharna place at Balithutha . Police vans arrived at the dharna place  8.57 AM:  District Collector and Police Superintendent spearheaded police in 15 Vehicles towards dharana place.
9.25 AM:  Appeal made to concerned citizens to call SP (-Debadatta Singh)'s mobile no-09437094678 urging him not to use force. Responding calls of human rights activists, political leaders, environmentalists, journalists, advocates, film-makers from across the country, he informed - ‘POLICE HAS COME PREPARED TO USE FORCE AGAINST THE PEOPLE’.
9.45 AM: Condemning the aggression by the Naveen Patnaik Government, Prasant Paikray, the spokesperson – PPSS told, ‘the chief minister is directly implementing the police operation through his Principal Secretary, who is issuing instructions to SP and District Collector.10.07 AM: D. Raja, Politburo Member, CPI informed that he has spoken to Orissa Chief Minister. The CM told him that he would enquire to the matter  and assured that no force would be used.
10.15 AM: There is spontaneous protest of the people in front of Paradeep Police station and Kujang against the illegal detention of the MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai.
10.38 AM: At Balithuta, numbers of villagers have swelled up from 600 to 3700. Villagers were in no mood to retreat, more people joined from Nuagaon, which was earlier considered as pro-POSCO area.
10.45 PM: Congress ex-MLA Umesh Swain on his way to Balithuta was detained at Kujang police station.12.00: Around 50 activists of All India Youth Federation, All India Students’ Federation & Communist Party of India demonstrated before the Police Commissioner office at Bhubaneshwar. They were arrested and later released.
2.10 PM: Police action started against the people by throwing tear gas & rubber bullets from 100 meter distance.
2.30PM: Police version: people threw country bombs at the police therefore the forces retaliated! PPSS version: it’s a blatant lie. Company deployed anti-socials and some pro-POSCO leaders joined with the Police, threw bombs to mislead the democratic and peaceful movement. 
3.15 PM: More than 100 persons got injured by teargas shell and police firing. 18 persons including 5 women got arrested. The houses, shops, sheds, tents belonging to local people in and around dharna location were burnt down by the Police.
5.00 PM: An alliance of some people’s organizations and activists organized a protest Dharna in front of the Governors’ House against police atrocity at Kalinga Nagar (TATA)and Balitutha(POSCO).
8.20 PM: Information received from PPSS activists from Dhinkia that about two Activists named Natha Swain (32 male from Nuagan) & Ramesh Das (35 male from Dhinkia) are critically injured with metal bullets. Immediate Medical Care is needed for them as they lost a lot of blood so far. All roads to anti POSCO Villages are blocked & sealed by Police. There is no way to get medical support /go out of the Village because of the police blockade. Among the 100 persons injured persons more than 60 percent are women or children.
8.30 PM: PPSS President – Abhay Sahu appealed everybody extend immediate support for the treatment of the injured people. Also,  he requested the all concerned and well-meaning people extend their solidarity for the causes of people in struggles.

The Hindustan Times reported:
The police on Saturday cleared the entrypoint to the proposed Posco mega steel plant at Balitutha, of protesters resisting land acquisition since January 26, using rubber bullets, teargas and batons, leaving at least 30 people injured.

The police which ordered the 1000-odd protesters, mostly women and children, to leave immediately cracked down when 50 crude bombs were thrown at them, he said.

Police used baton, teargas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the anti-Posco agitators, Inspector General of Police, Central Range, S K Upadhaya said.

"Our next target is obviously Dhinkia village, epicentre of the anti-Posco agitation," Upadhaya said.

"We have been successful in restoring law and order at Balitutha being held by anti-project activists since January 26," Jagastsinghpur district collector N C Jena told newsmen.

The administration had deployed 1500 security personnel, six magistrates, four ambulances and two fire tenders at Balitutha prior to the operation, police added.