Grand Theft India
THE FOLLOWING PHOTO-ESSAY IS AN EXAMPLE OF INDIA UN-SHINNING, AN INDIA WE CANNOT FORGET. ECONOMIC PROGRESS COMES AT A COST. BUT WE CAN STILL ASK WHETHER THE COST HAS TO BE BORNE BY PEOPLE WHO WILL NEVER SEE THE BENEFITS. ACROSS INDIA, CONFLICTS ARE ERUPTING OVER PROPOSED MINES, CHEMICAL PLANTS AND AUTO FACTORIES. THE COUNTRY HAS AMONG THE WORLD'S LARGEST RESERVES BOTH OF BAUXITE, A RAW MATERIAL FOR ALUMINIUM, AND OF IRON ORE, FOR STEEL. UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE COUNTRY'S ADIVASI (INDIGENOUS) AND LOWER-CASTE COMMUNITIES, THE MINERAL WEALTH LIES BENEATH THE LAND THEY HAVE FARMED AND HUNTED ON FOR MILLENIA, BUT FOR WHICH THEY DO NOT HOLD TITLE DEEDS. THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT, TO MAKE ROOM FOR THESE NEW MINES, STEEL MILLS AND HYDRO-ELECTRIC PROJECTS, AND UNDER THE PRETEXT OF THE SO-CALLED 'NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT', HAS ALREADY DISPLACED AN ASTONISHING 50 MILLION PEOPLE. UNSURPRISINGLY ENOUGH, 80% OF THESE PEOPLE BELONG TO THE LOWER CASTES OF INDIAN SOCIETY, DALITS (UNTOUCHABLES) AND ADIVASIS. THESE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE NO LONGER EXIST. THEY ARE NOT EVEN IN THE STATISTICS. HISTORY WILL NO TALK ABOUT THEM. THEY ARE REFUGEES OF A WAR THAT HAS NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY DECLARED. DALITS AND ADIVASIS, THOUGH, ARE RESISTING THIS NEW ECONOMIC REALITY BY FIGHTHING BACK. IT COULD WELL BE A MODERN VERSION OF DAVID vs. GOLIAT.
Several families manage to continue living in the remains of a village destroyed by the police. On the background, U.K.'s Vedanta aluminium plant runs its firsts tests before starting production completely. To make room for the industrial complex, hundreds of families have been illegaly evicted from their land by the government, and the hundreds more who still live in the area will have their livelihoods damaged forever.
Several families manage to continue living in the remains of a village destroyed by the police. On the background, U.K.'s Vedanta aluminium plant runs its firsts tests before starting production completely. To make room for the industrial complex, hundreds of families have been illegaly evicted from their land by the government, and the hundreds more who still live in the areaKids play by the ruins of a destroyed village.
After being illegaly evicted from their land, and with no crops to sustain themselves with, entire families have no other option but to work in a nearby illegal mine, where they earn under $1 per day, less than the minimum salary allowed by the Indian government. On April 19, 2007, police entered the forest community of Ghateha and fired on men, women and children. Around 100 were reported to be injured, many with bullet wounds and little access to any medical care. Thus, 1500 tribal families have been evicted without previous notification from their land.
A young man takes a break from work. After being illegaly evicted from their land, and with no crops to sustain themselves with, entire families have no other option but to work in a nearby illegal mine, where they earn under $1 per day, less than the minimum salary allowed by the Indian government. On April 19, 2007, police entered the forest community of Ghateha and fired on men, women and children. Around 100 were reported to be injured, many with bullet wounds and little access to any medical care. Thus, 1500 tribal families have been evicted without previous notification from their land.
Local people who are first expelled from their land, are then employed by the multinational built on their former land.
Adivasi women protest against a brutal attack they suffered two months before. On April 19, 2007, police entered the forest community of Ghateha and fired on men, women and children. Around 100 were reported to be injured, many with bullet wounds and little access to any medical care. Thus, 1500 tribal families have been evicted without previous notification from their land.
Indigenous local people, with the help of local politicians, protest during a 5-day roadblock -blocking the main entrances to the industrial complex- organized by one of the local NGOs which is fighting against the government's support of U.K.'s Vedanta Aluminium company. The company's operations in the area will have a devastating effect on the livelihoods of the local population, who do not benefit from Vedanta in any possible way.
Local people stop a truck full of bauxite during a 5-day roadblock -blocking the main entrances to the industrial complex- organized by one of the local NGOs which is fighting against the government's support of U.K.'s Vedanta Aluminium company. The company's operations in the area will have a devastating effect on the livelihoods of the local population, who do not benefit from Vedanta in any possible way.
Adivasi women protest against a brutal attack they suffered two months before. On April 19, 2007, police entered the forest community of Ghateha and fired on men, women and children. Around 100 were reported to be injured, many with bullet wounds and little access to any medical care. Thus, 1500 tribal families have been evicted without previous notification from their land.
Indigenous local people protest during a 5-day roadblock -blocking the main entrances to the industrial complex- organized by one of the local NGOs which is fighting against the government's support of U.K.'s Vedanta Aluminium company. The company's operations in the area will have a devastating effect on the livelihoods of the local population, who do not benefit from Vedanta in any possible way.
A victim of police brutality. On April 19, 2007, police entered the forest community of Ghateha and fired on men, women and children. Around 100 were reported to be injured, many with bullet wounds and little access to any medical care. Thus, 1500 tribal families have been evicted without previous notification from their land.
An indigenous local man is arrested by police during a 5-day roadblock -blocking the main entrances to the industrial complex- organized by one of the local NGOs which is fighting against the government's support of U.K.'s Vedanta Aluminium company. The company's operations in the area will have a devastating effect on the livelihoods of the local population, who do not benefit from Vedanta in any possible way.
Indigenous local people protest during a 5-day roadblock -blocking the main entrances to the industrial complex- organized by one of the local NGOs which is fighting against the government's support of U.K.'s Vedanta Aluminium company. The company's operations in the area will have a devastating effect on the livelihoods of the local population, who do not benefit from Vedanta in any possible way.
An indigenous local man is arrested by police during a 5-day roadblock -blocking the main entrances to the industrial complex- organized by one of the local NGOs which is fighting against the government's support of U.K.'s Vedanta Aluminium company. The company's operations in the area will have a devastating effect on the livelihoods of the local population, who do not benefit from Vedanta in any possible way.
Local men are arrested by police during a 5-day roadblock -blocking the main entrances to the industrial complex- organized by one of the local NGOs which is fighting against the government's support of U.K.'s Vedanta Aluminium company. The company's operations in the area will have a devastating effect on the livelihoods of the local population, who do not benefit from Vedanta in any possible way.
The local leader waits for the daily call from Amnesty International in London. As the resistance leader, the fate of hundreds of families lies on his shoulders. For him, leaving the village means getting arrested by the government police. The government of Orissa has signed an agreement with South Korean steelmaker Posco, but it first needs to illegaly evict hundreds of families from three villages placed on the land where the industrial complex is supposed to stand. For almost two years, the three villages have restricted entry in the area to anybody other than its local population, and their struggle is being an incredible success.
A wall with a 'No land to Posco' sign proudly exists as local women collect water for their morning bath. The government of Orissa has signed an agreement with South Korean steelmaker Posco, but it first needs to illegaly evict hundreds of families from three villages placed on the land where the industrial complex is supposed to stand. For almost two years, the three villages have restricted entry in the area to anybody other than its local population, and their struggle is being an incredible success.
Sometimes the multinational that expells the local indigenous people from their land, builds a small village where to house the landless adivasis.
Local indigenous women are employed by U.K.'s Vedanta aluminium plant to build the complex that will house Vedanta's employees. Ironically, the same women and their families had been illegaly evicted from their land to make room for the british company.
A group of local men perform their daily activities in one of the local rivers, as a truck full of bauxite is on its way to U.K.'s Vedanta aluminium plant, which is running its firsts tests before starting production completely. To make room for the industrial complex, hundreds of families have been illegaly evicted from their land by the government. As local rivers will be used in the refinery project, their water will one day stop flowing, thus damaging the livelihoods of the hundreds of families living in the area forever.
Local men -ironically the same ones who were illegaly displaced to make room for the plant- work on the 1000-acre area adquired by TATA Motors in Singur to set up car manufacturing plant. The wall was built to avoid constant attacks by local people who have been deprived from their land. At least 12.000 land owners have been displaced, the majority of them against their will. Government compensation may come, but it may be too little and a poor substitute for a life-sustaining livelihood. In the last months Singur has turned into a battleground. The West Bengal police is already present (over 6000 policemen). Plain-clothed police informers have been scouring the area for militants.
A woman works in her field, which is next to the wall that surrounds the 1000-acre area adquired by TATA Motors in Singur to set up car manufacturing plant. The wall was built to avoid constant attacks by local people who have been deprived from their land. At least 12.000 land owners have been displaced, the majority of them against their will. Government compensation may come, but it may be too little and a poor substitute for a life-sustaining livelihood. In the last months Singur has turned into a battleground. The West Bengal police is already present (over 6000 policemen). Plain-clothed police informers have been scouring the area for militants.
