“MNCs like Posco should be stopped”, naxalite leader, Sabyasachi Panda, alias Sunil,

who master-minded the R Udayagiri siege on March 24, said in an interview to two TV
channels deep inside the forest. According to him, the government was showering undue
favours on MNCs.

MNCs like Posco, BHP Billiton, Vedanta Resources, Rio Tinto and De Beers are looking
for major investments in steel, aluminium, and mining sectors in Orissa. While the South
Korean steel major has almost firmed up an investment of $12 billion in the state, the
London-registered Vedanta Resources is setting up an aluminium complex at splitting
sites in the state. BHP Billiton proposes to set up an alumina plant jointly with Sulakhana
Mines. De Beers, too, is in the advanced stages of conducting a survey for the location of
diamond mines, while Rio Tinto is keen on an iron ore mining operation in the state.

The naxalite demands have caused ripples in MNC circles. Even though they have not
made any direct onslaught so far, their demand is being taken seriously in government
circles, given their growing activities in Orissa.

In fact, the naxalites are not too favourably disposed to domestic industries as well. They
have made it clear that displacement in the name of industrialisation will not be tolerated.
They want displacement of people from Kalinganagar and Maikanch to stop at once.
They also want action against ministers and officials responsible for the police firing at
Kalinganagar, Maikanch, and Gopalpur, besides Mandrabaju, Raighar and Chilika.

With naxals joining the anti-industrialisation movement, the Naveen Patanik government
is in jitters, as the ultras have spread their network in about 14 districts, including the
mineral-rich Keonjhar, Rayagada, Jajpur, Sundergarh. Reports of them backing resistant
movements in Kashipur in Rayagada, Langigarh in Kalahandi, Kalinganagar in Jajpur
and Nuagoan in Jagatsinghpur have forced the government and project managers to
rethink their work schedules.

Gananath Patra, the naxal leader who had stalled the defence ministry’s proposal to locate
the high-profile missile launching centre at Baliapal in Balasore district, has been seen in
Nuagoan organising people against the Posco project.

Even though the...