Activists try to storm into the Vedanta AGM

On the afternoon of 28th July 2010, the traffic buzzing street outside the Institute of Civil Engineers in Westminster erupted in a powerful demonstration of protest and direct action against Vedanta Resources plc- a destructive multinational mining company, which is threatening thousands of lives, livelihoods and the environment. Various groups, organisations and individuals had gathered outside the plush central London venue of Vedanta’s AGM to protest against the violation of human rights and environmental laws, particularly in the Niyamgiri mountains of Orissa, Eastern India.

London police quizzed us on which groups we belonged to and tried to disallow the protest even though we had all the required permission documents. When their ploy failed the police tried to move us along to the other side of the road by citing “security issues in Westminster”! A group of us remained outside the main entrance to the AGM and we welcomed all the slickly suited shareholders, investors, PR consultants and employees of Vedanta by handing out leaflets and asking questions they refused to answer. Within minutes the roar of mass chanting (“VEDANTA VEDANTA- OUT OUT OUT!”) had drowned the din of afternoon traffic. The chanting of slogans and clattering of aluminium pots and pans continued without a break for the next three hours. Journalists, photographers and film crews began documenting the protest and carried out interviews in the midst of the bellowing crowd. Colourful banners and placards- painstakingly stitched and painted- summarised some of the reasons Vedanta must not be allowed to mine bauxite in eastern India — “VEDANTA DESTROYS LIVES & THE PLANET”, “DON’T DESTROY THE RIVERS OF KALAHANDI”, “WHO KILLED ARSI MAJHI?”

In a wonderfully well-coordinated example of direct action, a group of activists tried to storm into the AGM with a giant banner. Electronic security systems, doormen and fluorescent jacketed policemen sprung into action to stop us but they couldn’t prevent dissident shareholders from entering. For the rest of the afternoon activists from various grassroots groups continued blocking the main entrance of the building, brandishing banners, shouting out slogans and leafleting sullen office-goers, curious tourists, Westminster power brokers, cars in traffic jams and nervous policemen.

Inside the AGM, there were nearly 30 dissident shareholders, including activists, representatives from Amnesty International, NGOs, environmental groups, students, academics, a Member of Parliament and Bianca Jagger. With disgusting reluctance, the executive board of Vedanta agreed to observe a minute’s silence for over 30 people who were killed because of Vedanta’s criminal negligence when an illegally constructed chimney collapsed in September 2009.

Like all other years the executives of Vedanta refused to properly answer any of the critical questions they were asked. They either dismissed all accusations as baseless and factually incorrect or refused to make any statements. When detailed facts and reports were cited, Vedanta refused to accept any accountability for the effects of their planned mining project by arguing that if the Indian government and judiciary are happy with the mining plans then nobody else has the right to question that decision, especially “people sitting here in London”! This comment was met with anger and outrage from dissident shareholders, who pointed out that firstly, Vedanta has still not received government and environmental clearance to start mining even after so many years of lobbying. Secondly, Vedanta may have received some kind of an “in principle” clearance from a highly controversial judge but the Supreme Court’s Central Empowerment Committee has criticised that decision as well. So much for the unconditional approval of the Indian government and judiciary!

Most importantly, Vedanta has established itself as a FTSE 100-listed company in order to raise funds and do business in the international markets and to that extent they should be accountable to UK regulations, which is only one of the reasons why “people sitting here in London” should be concerned about what Vedanta is doing with their money. Besides, other than ‘busybody’ Londoners the dissident shareholders included people from India and various other countries and academics and activists who have lived in Orissa for many years. Eye-witnesses and experts from Orissa repeatedly pointed out that the local communities do not want the mining to take place, not least because of the devastating effect the mining will have on the extremely vital rivers of Kalahandi, one of the most water-starved, drought prone regions of India. Vedanta had nothing to say about this except for “Next question please”.

Faced with such vociferous heckling and questions Vedanta bombarded us with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Ethical and even Anthropological propaganda! In a phoney CSR power-point presentation, a Vedanta employee tried to undermine the cultural importance of Niyam Dongar- the sacred, forested mountain they plan to mine- for the Dongria Kondh people. When this shameful statement was immediately disputed by inhabitants from Orissa and anthropologists, Vedanta resumed their familiar tactic of refusing to acknowledge the facts, being outright rude and even ridiculing questioners (“Many nice ladies asking questions!” and “You people will never be satisfied with us!”). Another particularly disgraceful statement made by Vedanta was when one board member compared the forcible displacement of people to young people choosing to leave their villages to seek work in the cities. One activist replied “Comparing the forcible displacement of multitudes (26 million people have been forcibly displaced in India from 1951-1990 according to official estimates) to youths choosing to leave home is like comparing the Scottish Highland Clearances to somebody choosing to leave Skye to seek work in Glasgow”!

A new feature of this AGM was the number of emotionless investors and PR consultants who read out clinically prepared speeches thanking Vedanta for the high returns they have received on their investments and the “excellent ethical business” they are operating. Many of these propagandist speeches and green-washing was received with loud heckling and contradictions. Red cards marked ‘RUBBISH’ were raised every time a false statement was made; by the end of the AGM Vedanta had been awarded over a hundred red cards!

The most poignant moment of the AGM was when in memory of Arsi Majhi — a community leader in Orissa who has been murdered after giving evidence against Vedanta to a fact-finding government commission — a major activist from Orissa yelled out “Anil Agarwal (head of Vedanta) — You have blood on your hands!” The executive board kept quiet and moved on to the next item on the agenda.

Since the AGM two more Dongria Kondh men and community leaders- Lado Sikaka and Sena Sikaka- have been abducted at gunpoint; Sena was reportedly beaten up by paramilitaries. A few days earlier Lodu had spoken out against Vedanta’s mine on UK’s Channel 4 news. It has not been proven yet whether Vedanta is directly responsible for this atrocity but these brutalities do remind us of the inconceivable hardships faced by millions of people, whose land, livelihood and environment are being threatened by a flawed and barbaric model of “development” around the world. As concerned citizens of this planet we must continue the war on inequality, on ecocide, on human rights abuse. Defeating Vedanta Resources plc in the densely forested Niyamgiri mountains of Orissa or the mahogany draped conference centres of London, is a battle worth winning.

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