Row over JSW challenge: Medha Patkar denied entry in Odisha village by protesters

By PTI

PARADIP: Social activist Medha Patkar confronted huge protests at Dhinkia village in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district, the place a stir over a JSW metal challenge had damaged out lately, with locals asking her to “go back” as she apparently tried to make her option to the residence of a jailed agitator, police sources mentioned.

Patkar, together with these accompanying her, needed to return from the location of the protest on Monday as villagers thwarted her entry to Dhinkia, which can also be the epicenter of the anti-displacement motion in opposition to South Korean metal main POSCO.

Debendra Swain, an activist who had spearheaded protests in opposition to the JSW metal challenge over considerations of displacement, was arrested in January amid clashes between the police and the demonstrators.

Patkar, speaking to reporters, mentioned that she needed to fulfill the relations of Swain, however a piece of locals claimed that the group of activists was there to hunt suggestions from them concerning the JSW challenge.

The social activist additionally mentioned that she had taken permission from native police for the go to, an assertion rebuffed by Additional SP, Jagatsinghpur, Nimai Sethhi.

“The police was not informed about Patkar’s visit. We came to know about it only later. The police would not have been responsible, had something untoward happened. Patkar should have sought a written permission,” the ASP insisted.

Prominent anti-POSCO motion chief Sisir Mohapatra, who was amongst these elevating ‘return’ slogans, mentioned locals are not looking for her to intrude of their lives.

“We had been facing the ire of climate change over the past few years. Cyclones and flood leave our villages devastated. If JSW sets up its steel plant and develops the place, villagers would be spared the scourge of natural disasters,” Mohapatra maintained.

Dhinkia, the place betel leaves are produced in giant portions and bought to different components of the state, had seen quite a few protests in opposition to industrialisation by locals, who apprehended that the vines, their supply of livelihood, if destroyed to create space for the plant, would spell doom for the village.

Mohapatra added that the Jindal agency has assured them of employment and well timed compensation.

Earlier within the yr, chaos had damaged out in Dhinkia because the police tried to cease clashes between locals supporting the challenge and people opposing it, together with Swain.

Some locals, who had again then opposed the challenge, mentioned on the situation of anonymity that those that stood by Swain earlier than his arrest appeared to have modified their stance allegedly fearing police motion.