April 2007-Tribal people campaign against proposed bauxite mining in hills of Andhra Pradesh

The government of Andhra Pradesh (AP) is continuing with its plan to mine bauxite in the hills disregarding the protests by the tribal people who are threatened with displacement and destruction of their land and forest. Samata in April launched a campaign to create awareness among the people living in the plains; to show them that not only will the tribal people in the hills but also the farmers and city dwellers in the plain areas would also be adversely affected by the proposed mining. The campaign titled 'Health of the hills is the wealth of the plains' focused on how hills that were the birthplace of many rivers would be destroyed as a result of mining, which in turn would affect the water supply to the farmers and the residents in the coastal towns. A 10-day rally covering nearly 35 cities in the four districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari was carried out. In addition posters and pamphlets describing the harmful effects of bauxite mining were also used to generate awareness among the people. Signatures from people opposing the mining were also collected from the various towns.
Women have been in the forefront of this campaign against bauxite mining and setting up of refinery complexes on their lands. Recently the government officials wanted to hold a hasty meeting in S Kota, a town in Visakhapatnam district to pressurise the Gram Sabhas or village councils to pass a resolution allowing the setting up of an alumina refinery. But wherever they went the women from the villages refused to let them in and the officials were forced to leave.