In India's impoverished but mineral-rich state of Orissa, hundreds of indigenous tribespeople are battling to stop London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc from extracting bauxite from what they say is their sacred mountain.
NGOs like ActionAid say around 8,000 people will be affected by Vedanta's mining plans which have been stalled since 2005 due to legal wrangles over environmental and social concerns. Vedanta says it expects approval from authorities in the coming months.
Vedanta says its mine would not violate the rights of indigenous tribespeople as all its projects are conducted within the law and use international best practices.
"It is a myth that people don't want development. The tribals want their children to go to school and have enough to eat," said Mukesh Kumar, CEO of Vedanta's alumina refinery, located at the foot of Niyamgiri mountain, which will process the bauxite. "If the mine goes ahead, Vedanta will help them to achieve this."
The photos below are taken by AlertNet's Nita Bhalla. Read the full story.
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