



The Earth Is Rumbling [India]

For the last one year, the Niyamgiri hills in Kalahandi district of southwestern Orissa have been reverberating with protests and demonstrations. The tribals of the area...are taking on Vedanta, a UK-based mining major that has acquired a licence from the government to exploit the abundant bauxite reserves...last month...After hearing a representation made by tribal leaders, the Church of England (CoE), an investor in Vedanta, decided to review the situation arising out of the conflict between the tribals and the company and did not rule out pulling out of Vedanta for ethical considerations. The church’s shareholdings in Vedanta are worth Rs 20 crore, a small stake in a Rs 3,000-crore company. But if the CoE pulls out, the action will carry tremendous symbolic power and will prove a shot in the arm for environmental activists...The church will take a final decision after its ethical investment advisory group meets later this month. [also refers to Orissa Mining Corporation]

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