Times of India #ILeadIndia #CSR #PR campaign is actually #ImisleadIndia

PICTURE COURTESY- FACEBOOK GROUP- I MISLEAD INDIA  https://www.facebook.com/IMisleadIndia 

Editor
Times of India
Subject- I lead India Campaign

Sir,

Times of India  launched the ‘ I lead India ‘ campaign, with great fan fare on May 22, 2013 and which you claim that at a time when Indians are filled with negativity and pessimism, this initiative presents an alternative that goes beyond armchair criticism. It goes Beyond demonstrations and appeals, it urges you to stop pointing fingers and blaming others. According to you, ‘I Lead India’ is a clarion call which seeks to drive change too, but at the grass-root level, in 26 cities of India .
I am sorry I can’t say congratulations !
What a noble intention but do you know ? you have actually started on a wrong foot, by having Maruti Suzuki as your partner , a perpetrator of human rights violations, against its own workers. The workers have been thrown into prison ,, families thrown into trauma, grim future: the sacked Maruti labourers are still harried.
How can a newspaper of national repute like Times of  India, let such a company, which is notorious for suppression of workers democratic right of protest, sponsor the I Lead India Campaign. How can a company which unfairly fires and harasses workers has become a harbinger of change?
The Maruti Suzuki Workers are facing the most brutal repression by the government , although workers have adopted democratic and peaceful means available to demand the release of arrested 147 workers, withdrawal of and reinstatement of terminated 546 permanent and 1800 contract workers, the government has only responded with force and malice and in collusion with the Maruti Suzuki company management.
The Background

Maruti workers had applied to register a new union, independent of the company’s management, on November 4, 2011. The union was registered on February 29, 2012.to  represent over 2500 Maruti workers who went on strike three times last year demanding a union and improvements in their conditions of work.

The struggle in Maruti Suzuki India Ltd , Manesar started with workers demanded their constituional rights for legitimate trade union , they raised their voices demanding abolition of the contract workers system, and have raised their voice for dignified employment against the exploitative Maruti Suzuki Management. For this, they have been targeted and attacked by the management. The government, instead of assuring the rights of workers, has only acted in favour of the anti-worker interests of the company. It is letting loose a reign of terror and police and administrative repression on workers and their supporters.

On 18th July 2012, a supervisor in factory abused and made casteist comment against a dalit worker of the permanent category, which was legitimately protested by the worker. The worker was suspended and no action was taken against the supervisor. This resulted in a protest by the factory workers. The management stooped to the level of arranging 100 bouncers to fight workers , and they were joined by 4000 police force men, the councers and cops were in hand in glove . Some of the factory workers were critically injured and taken to the hospital.
Now the workers are fighting a legal case (State of Haryana Vs. Jiyalal case), under which 149 workers were sent to prison l. Police lodged an FIR. 59 workers names were written and 500/600 workers under the unknown category. Under the charge sheet 13 charges were put on 211 workers. Just before the charge sheet 66 workers were arrested on a Non- Bailable warrant. Some of them were not even involved but were considered future trouble makers. 2300 workers were dismissed from the Maruti factory. The case is still going on. The 211 workers are still waiting for a court hearing. The 2300 workers still remain jobless and are fighting to get their jobs back.
The workers have taken to the most peaceful means of protest since the dharna started on 24th March 2013, which included an 8 day fast unto death, which they broke after the Haryana Chief Ministers assurance. They have shown during this phase and also during the entire phase of the strikes in 2011 that they are unitedly asking for their rights in an exemplary show of democratic spirit, but the company and the state government is determined to distort reality and portray them as criminals. It is not even allowing them their democratic right to protest, either in Gurgaon, Manesar or in Kaithal.

In the Video below Wife of an arrested Maruti Worker.speakes, listen

The true face of Maruti Suzuki Management, is exposed in this letter from prison by the Maruti Suzuki Workers –

I quote

We all are children of workers and peasants. Our parents, with huge effort and sacrifice, ensured our 10th standard, 12th standard or ITI education, helped us stand on our feet to do something worthy in our life and help our family in need. We all joined Maruti Suzuki company after passing the written and viva-voce tests conducted by the company and on the terms and conditions set by the company. Before our joining, the company carried out all kinds of investigations, like police verification of our residential proof or whether we had criminal records! Neither of us had any previous criminal record. When we joined the company, the Manesar plant of the company was under construction. At that stage we foreseeing our future with the progress of the plant invested huge energy and diligence to lift the Manesar plant of the company to a new height. When the entire world was struggling under the economic crisis, we worked extra two hours daily to materialize a production of 10.5 lakh cars in a year. We were the sole creators of the increasing profit of the company, and today we are implicated as criminals and murderers, and those who engage in ‘mindless arson’! Almost all of us are from poor worker or peasant families which has been dependent on our job. We were struggling to weave dreams for our and our family’s future, such as of our own homes, of the better education for our brothers-sisters and children so that they could have a bright future and ensure a comfortable life for their parents who took the pain to bring after them. But in return, we were being exploited inside the company in all possible ways, such as:

1. At work, if any worker was unwell, he was not allowed to go to the dispensary and was forced to continue with the work in that condition.

2. We were not allowed to go to the toilet, the permission was there only at tea or lunch time.

3. Management used to behave with the workers very rudely with abusive language, and used to even slap or make them murga in order to punish them.

4. If a worker was forced to take 3-4 days leave because of his ill health or some accident or other serious problem in his family or because of the death of a relative, then half of his salary which amounted to almost Rs. 9000 used to be deducted by the company.

You can Read the full lettter here

Recently, the International Commission for Labour Rights (ICLR). team constituting of lawyers and trade unionists from India, France, Japan, South Africa, the USA , were on a visit to investigate the incidents that led to the summary dismissal of over 500 permanent workers and over 1800 contract workers at the Manesar plant of Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL) in August 2012. The team stated in their preliminary report that the alleged violence and human rights violation of workers at the Manesar plant of Maruti Suzuki will be taken up at the International Labour Organisation (ILO)and the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva , as If Maruti interfered with the workers’ rights to form union of their choice and terminated union members, there are serious violations of international labour norms. Maruti Suzuki is planning to set up a plant in South Africa, ICLR informed that the labour organisations there will oppose it , recognising human rights violations of the company in India .

The Preliminary Report can be read here

Although, Times of India is covering the protest I am amazed that you did not realise that your own public relation campaign could backlash, if you have maruti suzuki as a co sponsor ? It didn’t strike you , that there were workers striking and protesting against the oppression of maruti suzuki management ? Or wait a minute, Is it that Maruti Suzuki Management wanted to improve their image by involving in I lead india campaign and they are shit scared , because the movement by the Manser factory workers and the immense support it got from the entire country makes them in piss in their pants and also the fact that their sales figures had dropped immediately following the Manesar fiasco.

The Times of India, National newspaper claims to be India’s s most widely read English newspaper with readership over 7.6 million .It has some accountability towards its readers.

I demand Times of India to withdraw Maruti Suzuki’s ‘s sponsorship from I lead India Campaign and stop selling activism through this facade a campaign of corporate social responsibility of Maruti Suzuki.

Its like ‘ Nau sau chuhe kha ke billi ko haj ko chali ”
I lead campaign ka TIME KHATAM
Sincerely
An Ashamed , Times of India Reader

Kamayani Bali Mahabal

Mumbai
P.S- And if the I lead India campaign team, is still confused and unaware , what I have stated above, do check out http://marutisuzukiworkersunion.wordpress.com/

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Saha Commission – Deposition Proper Crèche facilities in mines #CSR #Odisha #Vaw #Womenrights

Deposition before Saha Commission CLAP espouses Creche in Mines.

Ahmadabad: 21.04: The provision of law under Mines Creche Rules 1966 and the Judgement of Odisha High Court in Committee for Legal Aid to Poor and Forum for Creche and Child Care Services (FORCES) vrs. State of Odisha bearing No. WP (C) No. 3132/2003 regarding crèche services for 0-6 age group siblings of working mother deserve priority attention with agenda of CSR by Mining Companies says the petition by Dr. Bikash Das, President, CLAP filed before Saha Commission. It is pertinent to mention that the Saha Commission is presently hearing the CSR of Mining Companies for peripheral development as a part of the overall enquire into irregularities of mining. In course of hearing of the case the lawyer of the petitioner Sidheswar Mohanty brought to the attention of the Commission that crèche facility for young children is a legal obligation, however, it is being overlooked in course of mining operation. Even the Odisha High Court in a public interest petition already directed for appropriate steps to establish crèche in mines. Hearing the contention of the petitioner Justice Saha observed that as per Mines Creche Rules its violation is an offence. Any mining which fail to perform its duty would attract prosecution. Senior Counsel Gopal Subramaniyam also supported the prayer of CLAP for crèche facility and informed the Commission that the submission will be taken care of by mining companies in their CSR Programme. Saha Commission directed the lawyer of CLAP to submit its written deposition before the Commission. BEFORE THE COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY COMPRISING HON’BLE SRI. JUSTICE M.B. SHAH (Retd.), (For illegal mining of Iron Ore and Manganese), Bungalow No. 13, Opp. Anti-Corruption Bureau, Dafnala, Sfahibaug , Ahmedabad – 4 The humble petition filed by Committee for Legal Aid to Poor (CLAP), a Registered Society based in Cuttack, Odisha. Sub: Proper enforcement of Crèche facilities for Children of Working Mothers in the mines within state of Odisha as per the provision laid down under Mines Crèche Rules, 1966 (framed by the Central Govt. of India on 1st April, 1966) in exercise of power conferred under Clause (d) and of Section 58 of the Mines Act 1952 and also implementation of order of the Hon’ble High Court of Odisha in a Public Interest Litigation bearing no. WP (C) No. 3132/2003. The following submissions are made for the sympathetic consideration of this Hon’ble Commission in course of hearing the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of Mining Owners: 1. That provision of crèche facility for children of working mother in mining is a legal obligation of mining owner/miner as per the provision of Mines Crèche Rules, 1966. It is also a statutory obligation of the authorities of mining department to supervise whether the crèche facilities are being provided by the mining owner or not. It is also an entitlement of very young children (up to age of 6 years) who accompany their mother who are working in mines. 2. That, in spite of the provisions of Mines Crèche Rules 1966, the implementation of the provision is grossly manifestly poor as the mining owners are not giving due importance to the issue for various reason including low level of awareness about the provision of law together with lack of assertiveness among working mother about the statutory opportunity for which they are entitled. 3. That deprivation of working women having children below 6-years of age from the entitlement of crèche facility for their children is a common phenomenon all across the mines in Odisha and thereby it is a violation of a statutory obligation by the mining owners. 4. That the public authorities including Labor and Mining Officials appointed for the purpose of ensuring strict compliance of the statutory provisions like crèche facility are not discharging their duty for proper enforcement of the provision of crèche in mines. In fact there is no accountability of officials for strict adherence to the provisions of law. 5. That, to substantiate the rampant violation of the provision relating to crèche facilities, the present petitioner that is CLAP constituted a Fact Finding Mission consisting of Lawyers and Social Activists to investigate into the real state of affair which visited different mines of Sukinda area of Jajpur district of Odisha in the year 2002. After field investigation, the CLAP has published a report with name and style “Undermining Children in Mines” reflecting therein the illegalities and irregularities noticed about the implementation of Crèche facilities in the mines. Such inaction of mine owners is clear violation of rights of children upto age of six years whose mothers are working in respective mines. A Copy of the said report is attached herewith as ANNEXURE -1. 6. That, based on the aforementioned fact finding mission and the fact finding report titled Undermining Children in Mines, CLAP (Committee for Legal Aid to Poor) alongwith FORCES (Forum for Crèche and Child Care Services) approached the Hon’ble High Court of Odisha by way of filing a PIL vide WP (C) No. 3132/2003 seeking direction for enforcement of provisions relating to crèche facility in the mines. 7. That, after careful hearing of allegations leveled and counter affidavit filed by the respective parties, the Hon’ble High Court of Orissa vide order dt. 21.1.2011 passed a verdict with a direction to the OP No. 5 (Ministry of Labour, Union of India, Shrama Shakti Bhawan, New Delhi) to see that the crèches are properly maintained by the mines owners who have established the same as per the Act and Rules. And for those who have not established crèches, Directorate of Mines Safety shall see that the same are established forthwith and safety measures shall be taken for the children of working women in nines area; and further see that the trained teachers are appointed for functioning of Crèches properly. Moreover, periodical inspection shall also be carried out by the Directorate of Mines Safety regarding maintenance and functioning of Crèches in mines areas in consonance of provisions of the Act and Rules in vogue. If the authorities find that any mine owner is contravening the provisions of the Act and Rules they shall have to take steps to prosecute them before the Court of law for contravention of law, which tantamount to statutory offence. A copy of the order of Hon’ble High Court of Orissa dtd. 21.1.2011 is attached herewith as ANNEXURE – 2. 8. That, in spite of all this efforts and the order of the Hon’ble High Court, the deficits, inadequacies, irregularities and latches still persists in respect of enforcement of the provision concerning crèche facilities by the mines owners. The public authorities have not shown due diligence and not taken adequate measures for proper enforcement of crèche rules even though there is a clear direction by the Hon’ble High Court of Orissa made in this regard. 9. That, in the above facts and circumstances the following steps are very much essential for proper enforcement of Crèche Rules in the mines area and to ensure that the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as per the legal provision are effectively implemented for the shake of protection of best interest of the very young children, welfare of the working mother and also for promotion of good governance: ISSUES A. It will be mandatory for every Mines owner to provide Crèche facilities to the children upto age of 6 years of the working women. B. Every Crèche shall have a clean and sanitary latrine and bathroom, adequate safe drinking water, supplementary nutrition, medicines, beds, toys and medical check-up for the children and nursing mothers. C. Periodically visit and monitoring of the crèche facilities should be undertaken by the Directorate of Mines. D. The mines authorities will ensure that the crèche facilities have been strictly implemented by every mines owner. E. In case there is found any latches or negligence to provide crèche facilities, the licence granted to the respective mines is deemed to be cancelled. F. Every mines owner will submit quarterly report to the mines authorities explaining the details and steps taken to implement the crèche facilities for the supervision of the authorities. G. Effective measures should be taken by both the mining department and mines owners for proper implementation of Mines Crèche Rules. 10. That, the petitioner brings the above facts to the notice of the Hon’ble commission for its sympathetic consideration as the Commission rightfully considers a very important aspect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in course of hearing legal issues pertaining to mining allotment. 11. That, unless a matter like crèche facility for young children below the age group of 6-years of mother working in mines is taken into due consideration at this stage of hearing of the case, the issue of young children would be ignored from the entire process of rendering justice and the best interest of young children will be overlooked. P R A Y E R In the above facts and circumstances along with considering the legal provision of crèches facilities for children in mines, it is humbly prayed to pass appropriate order/recommendation for strict compliance of the legal provision made under Mines Crèches Rules, 1966 as a major aspect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). And further recommend the issues mentioned in Para – 9 are to be included as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for the best interest of the children. Dr. Bikash Das, President Date: 19.4.13 Committee for Legal Aid to Poor (CLAP) And Convenor, Odisha FORCES 367, Markatnagar, Sector – 6, C.D.A, Cuttack – 14, Odisha, India AFFIDAVIT I, Dr. Bikash Das, aged about 43 years, S/o Late Shyam Sundar Das, President of Committee for Legal Aid to Poor (CLAP), AT: Plot NO. 367, Markatnagar, Sector – 6, PO: Abhinaba Bidanasi, PS: Markatnagar, Town/Dist.: Cuttack do hereby solemnly affirm and state as follows: 1. That I being president of CLAP presenting this petition before this Hon’ble commission. 2. That the facts stated above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief. Identified by Advocate Deponent Cuttack Date: 19.4.2013 Contact Number of CLAP Advocate Mr. Sidheswar Mohanty: 09861035421

BEFORE THE COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY COMPRISING

HON’BLE SRI. JUSTICE M.B. SHAH (Retd.),

(For illegal mining of Iron Ore and Manganese), Bungalow No. 13,

Opp. Anti-Corruption Bureau, Dafnala, Sfahibaug , Ahmedabad – 4

The humble petition filed by Committee for Legal Aid to Poor (CLAP), a Registered Society based in Cuttack, Odisha.

Sub: Proper enforcement of Crèche facilities for Children of Working Mothers in the mines within state of Odisha as per the provision laid down under Mines Crèche Rules, 1966 (framed by the Central Govt. of India on 1^st April, 1966) in exercise of power conferred under Clause (d) and of Section 58 of the Mines Act 1952 and also implementation of order of the Hon’ble High Court of Odisha in a Public Interest Litigation bearing no. WP (C) No. 3132/2003.

The following submissions are made for the sympathetic consideration of this Hon’ble Commission in course of hearing the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) of Mining Owners:

1. That provision of crèche facility for children of working mother in mining is a legal obligation of mining owner/miner as per the provision of Mines Crèche Rules, 1966. It is also a statutory obligation of the authorities of mining department to supervise whether the crèche facilities are being provided by the mining owner or not. It is also an entitlement of very young children (up to age of 6 years) who accompany their mother who are working in mines.

2. That, in spite of the provisions of Mines Crèche Rules 1966, the implementation of the provision is grossly manifestly poor as the mining owners are not giving due importance to the issue for various reason including low level of awareness about the provision of law together with lack of assertiveness among working mother about the statutory opportunity for which they are entitled.

3. That deprivation of working women having children below 6-years of age from the entitlement of crèche facility for their children is a common phenomenon all across the mines in Odisha and thereby it is a violation of a statutory obligation by the mining owners.

4. That the public authorities including  Labor and Mining Officials appointed for the purpose of ensuring strict compliance of the statutory provisions like crèche facility  are not discharging their duty for proper enforcement of the provision of crèche in mines. In fact there is no accountability of officials for strict adherence to the provisions of law.

5. That, to substantiate the rampant violation of the provision relating to crèche facilities, the present petitioner that is CLAP constituted a Fact Finding Mission consisting of Lawyers and Social Activists to investigate into the real state of affair which visited different mines of Sukinda area of Jajpur district of Odisha in the year 2002. After field investigation, the CLAP has published a report with name and style “Undermining Children in Mines” reflecting therein the illegalities and irregularities noticed about the implementation of Crèche facilities in the mines. Such inaction of mine owners is clear violation of rights of children upto age of six years whose mothers are working in respective mines.

A Copy of the said report is attached herewith as ANNEXURE -1.

6. That, based on the aforementioned fact finding mission and the fact finding report titled Undermining Children in Mines, CLAP (Committee for Legal Aid to Poor) alongwith FORCES (Forum for Crèche and Child Care Services)  approached the Hon’ble High Court of Odisha by way of filing a PIL vide WP (C) No. 3132/2003 seeking direction for enforcement of provisions relating to crèche facility in the mines.

7. That, after careful hearing of allegations leveled and counter affidavit filed by the respective parties, the Hon’ble High Court of Orissa vide order dt. 21.1.2011 passed a verdict with a direction to the OP No. 5 (Ministry of Labour, Union of India, Shrama Shakti Bhawan, New Delhi) to see that the crèches are properly maintained by the mines owners who have established the same as per the Act and Rules. And for those who have not established crèches, Directorate of Mines Safety shall see that the same are established forthwith and safety measures shall be taken for the children of working women in nines area; and further see that the trained teachers are appointed for functioning of Crèches properly. Moreover, periodical inspection shall also be carried out by the Directorate of Mines Safety regarding maintenance and functioning of Crèches in mines areas in consonance of provisions of the Act and Rules in vogue. If the authorities find that any mine owner is contravening the provisions of the Act and Rules they shall have to take steps to prosecute them before the Court of law for contravention of law, which tantamount to statutory offence.

A copy of the order of Hon’ble High Court of Orissa dtd. 21.1.2011 is attached herewith asANNEXURE – 2.

8. That, in spite of all this efforts and the order of the Hon’ble High Court, the deficits, inadequacies, irregularities and latches still persists in respect of enforcement of the provision concerning crèche facilities by the mines owners. The public authorities have not shown due diligence and not taken adequate measures for proper enforcement of crèche rules even though there is a clear direction by the Hon’ble High Court of Orissa made in this regard.

9. That, in the above facts and circumstances the following steps are very much essential for proper enforcement of Crèche Rules in the mines area and to ensure that the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as per the legal provision are effectively implemented for the shake of protection of best interest of the very young children, welfare of the working mother and also for promotion of good governance:

ISSUES

A. It will be mandatory for every Mines owner to provide Crèche facilities to the children upto age of 6 years of the working women.

B. Every Crèche shall have a clean and sanitary latrine and bathroom, adequate safe drinking water, supplementary nutrition, medicines, beds, toys and medical check-up for the children and nursing mothers.

C. Periodically visit and monitoring of the crèche facilities should be undertaken by the Directorate of Mines.

D. The mines authorities will ensure that the crèche facilities have been strictly implemented by every mines owner.

E. In case there is found any latches or negligence to provide crèche facilities, the licence granted to the respective mines is deemed to be cancelled.

F. Every mines owner will submit quarterly report to the mines authorities explaining the details and steps taken to implement the crèche facilities for the supervision of the authorities.

G. Effective measures should be taken by both the mining department and mines owners for proper implementation of Mines Crèche Rules.

10. That, the petitioner brings the above facts to the notice of the Hon’ble commission for its sympathetic consideration as the Commission rightfully considers a very important aspect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in course of hearing legal issues pertaining to mining allotment.

11. That, unless a matter like crèche facility for young children below the age group of 6-years of mother working in mines is taken into due consideration at this stage of hearing of the case, the issue of young children would be ignored from the entire process of rendering justice and the best interest of young children will be overlooked.

P R A Y E R

In the above facts and circumstances along with considering the legal provision of crèches facilities for children in mines, it is humbly prayed to pass appropriate order/recommendation for strict compliance of the legal provision made under Mines Crèches Rules, 1966 as a major aspect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

And further recommend the issues mentioned in Para – 9 are to be included as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for the best interest of the children.

Dr. Bikash Das,

President

Date: 19.4.13   Committee for Legal Aid to Poor (CLAP)

And Convenor, Odisha FORCES

367, Markatnagar, Sector – 6, C.D.A,

Cuttack – 14, Odisha, India

AFFIDAVIT

I, Dr. Bikash Das, aged about 43 years, S/o Late Shyam Sundar Das, President of Committee for Legal Aid to Poor (CLAP), AT: Plot NO. 367, Markatnagar, Sector – 6, PO: Abhinaba Bidanasi, PS: Markatnagar, Town/Dist.: Cuttack do hereby solemnly affirm and state as follows:

1. That I being president of CLAP presenting this petition before this Hon’ble commission.

2. That the facts stated above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Identified  by

Advocate           Deponent

Cuttack

Date: 19.4.2013

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Vedanta- Social Media Campaign ‘ Khushi’ – Faking Happiness #CSR

Kamayani Bali Mahabal- April 17,2013  for Faking Happiness Campaign

Vedanta Resources plc is a London listed FTSE100 company which has brought death and destruction to thousands. 63% of it is owned by billionaire Anil Agarwal and his family through companies in various tax havens. It has been consistently fought by people’s movements but it is being helped by the British government to evolve into a multi-headed monster and spread across India and round the world, diversifying into iron ore in Goa, Karnataka and Liberia, Zinc in Rajasthan, Namibia, South Africa and Ireland, copper in Zambia and most recently oil in the ecologically fragile Mannar region in Sri Lanka.

Vedanta’s Record in India:

In Odisha, India:

Vedanta’s bauxite mining and aluminium smelters have left more than tenthousand displaced people landless, contaminated drinking water sources with ‘red mud’ and fly ash,and devastated vast tracts of fertile land in an area which has seen famine every year since 2007.Vedanta’s mine on the sacred Niyamgiri hills has been fought by Adivasi (indigenous)-led people’smovements for seven long years and has so far been stopped. This has rendered their subsidiaryVedanta Aluminium (VAL) a loss making company, starving it’s refineries at Jharsuguda and Lanjigarhof local bauxite.

In Goa:

Vedanta’s Sesa Goa subsidiary has been accused of large scale fraud and illegal mining.In June 2009 following a pit wall collapse which drowned Advalpal village in toxic mine waste, a 9year old local boy Akaash Naik filed a petition to stop the mine and mass protests later that yearhalted mining at one of Sesa Goa’s sites. In 2011 there were more major mine waste floods. In SouthGoa a 90 day road blockade by 400 villagers succeeded in stopping another iron ore mine. Sesa Goaare paying ‘silence funds’ to try and prevent similar action at their South Goa mine.

In Tamil Nadu, Tuticorin:

Vedanta subsidiary Sterlite has flouted laws without remorse, operatingand expanding without consent, violating environmental conditions, and illegally dumping toxiceffluents and waste. In 1997 a toxic gas leak hospitalised 100 people sparking an indefinite hungerstrike by a local politician and a ‘siege on Sterlite’ that led to 1643 arrests. Later that year a kilnexplosion killed two. An estimated 16 workers died between 2007 and 2011. Police recorded mostworkers deaths as suicides. Pollution Control Boards, judges and expert teams have on severaloccasions reversed damning judgements of the company, demonstrating large scale corruption andbribery. Activists are waging a court battle which has stopped operations for several short periods.

In Tamil Nadu, Mettur:

Vedanta bought MALCO ‘s aluminium complex at Mettur 2 yearsbefore permission for their Kolli Hills bauxite mines expired but continued to mine illegally for 10years. Five adivasi villages were disturbed and a sacred grove destroyed before activist’s petitionsstopped mining in 2008. Without local bauxite and with protests preventing bauxite coming fromNiyamgiri in Orissa the factory at Mettur was also forced to close. However, the abandoned andunreclaimed mines continue to pollute the mountains and a huge red mud dump by the Stanleyreservoir pollutes drinking water and blows toxic dust into the village.

In Chhattisgarh, Korba:

Vedanta bought the state owned BALCO’s alumina refinery, smelter andbauxite mines for ten times less than its estimated value in 2001 despite a landmark 61 day strike byworkers. Since then wages have been slashed and unionised workers are losing jobs. In 2009 afactory chimney collapsed, BALCO claimed 42 were killed, but in fact 60 – 100 people are stillmissing. Witnesses claim these workers from poor families in neighbouring states are buriedunderground in the rubble, which was bulldozed over immediately after the collapse

British Government’s special relationship with Vedanta

• The UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) and Department of Tradeand Industry (DTI) helped launch Vedanta on the London Stock Exchange andcontinues to support the company.
• Through the World Bank funded NGO Business Partners for Development, it hashelped Vedanta take over copper mines in Zambia . Although Vedanta has been finedfor poisoning the Kafue river and faced workers protests, the UK is helpingestablish it in Zambia by securing in the words of local NGOs “ a ‘champion’ withincentral government to further the ‘enabling environment’”.
• Meanwhile in Liberia in what has been described as one of the worst recordedconcession agreements in the country’s history Sesa Goa is accused of breach ofcontract and may have to pay damages of US$10 billion.
• Most recently when the Indian government held up Vedanta’s deal with EdinburghbasedCairn Energy by investigating Vedanta’s ability to manage strategic oil fields, UKgovernment officials, briefed “over dinner” by Cairn Energy, offered to “polish” and senda letter drafted by the company to the Indian Prime Minister to force the deal through.David Cameron even personally intervened, urging India to speed up’unnecessary delays’. As a result the Indian government caved in and allowed a dealwhich handed some 30% of India’s crude oil for a fraction of its worth to this notoriouscorporate.
• Vedanta’s Cairn India is now drilling for oil in the ecologically fragile off-shoreregion around Mannar in Sri Lanka – an area controlled by the Sri Lankan military.

Vedanta Resources,  is attempting to claim to be social responsible via a huge advertising campaign. The latest is the  social media campaign, ‘Khushi’, aimed at underprivileged children, is poised to complete one year. Launched on April 10, 2012. In this video we attack all tall claims of Vedanta Khushi Campaign.

The Reality is –

Vedanta has suffocated the life of Adivasis in Niyamgiri foothills. The entire area is overlapped with Red Mud. Most of humans, animals, birds and insects are infected with skin diseases. Proper medical facilities are unavailable; there is no sign of hospital. By pressures, by vicious means, by force, by paying less, Vedanta bought the farming and forest land of Local tribes. They cheated them by providing technical training to make them skillful workers in Vedanta Mines and factories, as soon as land got transferred, Vedanta thrown them out.

Red mud has converted all crop fields and forest into waste land, the vein is spreading. The river Vasamdhara is the main source of water for all constituents of habitats in Niyamgiri. Vedanta’s Red Mud resulted in converting drinkable water of Vasamdhara to polluted and toxic waste; it is causing dangerous skin diseases and cancer. Even Animals and birds are rejecting it to drink. The situation of Vasamdhara is same from Niyamgiri till Kalingapatnam. Amnesty International broke this harsh truth.

Niyamgiri foothills is a treasure of bauxite, Bauxite is a main component to make aluminum. According to statistic, Niyamgiri foothills contain 72 lakh million ton of bauxite. The average cost of 1 ton bauxite is approx 6500 INR, whereas all 72 lakh million ton is not awarded to Vedanta for mining. The prices are fixed very little, when Government awards a license to mine, it is simple to understand the covetous intentions of Vedanta by looking at the history and biology of Vedanta.

Government and Vedanta has fixed the price of Niyamgiri foothills, the predators have camped and pasted like a woodworm. Vedanta Aluminum Ltd is camped with crooked intentions in Laljiganj located at south Odisha . A fake kingdom of 700 Hectares expanded by cheating legally and eating illegally, hooks or crook they used every evil outfit.

Village Bundela initiated the revolution against Vedanta few years back, many voices were raised, and dozens of revolutionaries are martyred. There are few Tribal’s if they further replaced from this areas, they will lose their name from World map. They are already on the way of extinction because of Vedanta what a Price tag we have placed on forest and tribes in this materialistic world. We are the silent observer of slaughter of Humanity.

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Corporate Social Responsibility and Satyamev Jayate #Aamir Khan

 

 Guest Post, Ipshita Samanta, writes for Kracktivism

 ‘“There must be some way out of here” said the joker to the thief

“There’s too much confusion”, I can’t get no relief
Businessmen, they drink my wine, plowmen dig my earth
None of them along the line know what any of it is worth. ‘  —-All along the watch tower, Bob Dylan

We are watching from watch tower. We are traipsing along the tricky road. Yet we are enjoying our smug delirious delusions. We belong to the army of workers, supporters of corporate. No, we are not here to talk in tropes. Rather there is severe need to redress the issue of corporate social responsibility. Our ‘’responsibility’’.

We can say corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a form of corporate self-regulation incorporated into a business environment. It works within realm of ethics, morality and international law. The goal of CSR is to accept responsibility for the company’s actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, shareholders and all other members of the community who may also be considered as stakeholders.’’

So in a more layman’s language CSR (corporate social responsibility; from here on CSR) is giving back some of the profits that corporate makes by lactating society’s resource to the people, to the nature in a word to the society itself. But this juxtaposition seems to be highly ironical, vacuously true. That is, if a profiteering organization strives by profit making why should they part their so dear sizeable portion? And if they do, why in the first place the free trade (this coinage is very much capitalistic; without which corporate presumably cannot do business) comes from barrel of gun, why they resort to the coercive methods? Why is there fierce competition to suck the cows dry? Why occlusion of peoples’ freedom of speech, democratic rights in most of the third world developing countries, where CSR is a comparatively newer concept.

Yes, we are talking about Vedanta, Posco and other expropriator corporate companies. In accordance to the rule book CSR is all about self policing, moral guide liners. But in real paradigm there is a shift between the definitions of commitment to the deed. We need not give the data. Data of exploitations, evidences of corruptions, instances of gross misappropriation are splashed in every nook and corner. State machinery is in cohort. Grapphiti is in the wall.

The face of Soni Suri is fading. Instead faking of happiness is in the wind.

So called messiah against corruption Mr. Anna Hazare is smiling.

Jago Bharat campaign of  Tata is buzzing.

Flocks of youth are in trance of corporate responsibility.

Ours own Oprah has came in to fore. He is the actor turned social reformer. Amir khan.

While he argues against sexs selection  he talks, discusses for the sake of destined to be unmarried 2 crore single men. He cries with the female guest who has been aborted against her wish for bearing female fetus. Yet his own child has been born out of surrogacy, one of the crudest forms of women slavery, lending your womb for money.

But he starts his program with jai hind. He remains politically correct. And also does not try to insinuate the patriarchal core. Commercial, eh? Oh it also has a greater production value. Every paisa will go the NGO run by Ambanis. The speculative money maker. The gambler whose speculations have drained surpluses of manufacturing sector in to the share markets, price fixings, speculative trade. Implicit assassinator of millions of farmers. Puppeteer of government. And he is protecting the girl child! Ironies do not stop here. Every corporate company has been tied to one or more NGO where they wash their bloody hands down. A laying off machine of black money. A devil in saint’s hood. Every slum in metropolises boasts of a NGO which is invariably linked to one or more corporate companies.

The network of capital and NGO is like infinite loop. To fix the poverty turn the lenders in to beggars. In return of education, health, infrastructural changes suck the country till death. And NGO becomes agent of death. Some will argue with trickledown effect. But is it not the one of most important reasons that in third world countries there is so higher political and bureaucratic corruption. To begin with let us look back in to the origin.

The term CSR came in to vogue in 60’s. The motivation was to make a social impact so that there could be long term profit. It involves with business ethics in a business environment. Cynics argued that it was merely a hoodwinking maneuver to the government to sideline the improper practices of big MNCs.

Also one of the aspects of the CSR was to treat human resources as capital or human capital, to potentiate them for future labor pool. So CSR is merely Keynesian approach to the corporate core value. A window dressing. CSR works as a lackey of business sustainability. A caudal approach to hide business agenda from the consumers. Also in the epoch of imperialism CSR has made up the ugly feature of neo classical economy in to a sacrosanct virtue. To facilitate the change of mode of production in the upcoming new economy from semi feudal to more aggressive oligarchy  CSR has played a big role. It has gained trust through its beleaguering methods. By building brand values it has cleared the path of monopolistic hegemony. And a way to survive in troubled water. A malignant growth which cannot be uprooted only by reformist attitude.

In Indian context in 2009 ministry of corporate affairs had published a guideline for inclusive growth and responsible business. We should note here everything is voluntary, i.e it is not a law to be abided. There come lots of good words. Ethical practice, respect for workers’ right, respect for human rights, environment keeping, social development activities and so on. But still everything remains fuzzy. Everything depends on the corporate will. And every single day every basic right is flouted. In our city the poor are driven into corner, they are being brushed under carpet. We are making our cities beautiful. Those who can buy have their amenities, we, the middle class commuter of vacillating bridge are in fear. And the poor have nothing to lose.

Here in the second episode of ‘Satyameva Jayate ‘Amir Khan tells of child abuse. 53% of the children are abused silently. Most of the incidents occur in their safeness of home. And we should not forget about the hapless child laborers. For whom there is no Amir Khan to shed tear on who are being molested, raped, sodomised in their work places. In the dark corners, in the alleys of corporate profit making factories they are sacrificed daily.

And still Amir Rocks!!!!

Ipshita  Samanta  is doing my phd in statistics from ISI, in kolkata

 

There’s no escape from the corporations that run India

Arundhati Roy, in Guardian

Domestic mega-corporations’ tentacles extend into every aspect of Indian life – but no one dares speak out against them

Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man, is personally worth $20bn. He holds a majority controlling share in Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), a company with a market capitalisation of $47bn and global business interests that include petrochemicals, oil, natural gas, polyester fibre, special economic zones, fresh food retail, high schools, life sciences research and stem cell storage services. RIL recently bought 95% shares in Infotel, a TV consortium that controls 27 TV news and entertainment channels in almost every regional language. Infotel owns the only nationwide license for 4G broadband. Ambani also owns a cricket team.

RIL is one of a handful of corporations that run India. Some of the others are the Tatas, Jindals, Vedanta, Mittals, Infosys, Essar and the other Reliance (Adag), owned by Mukesh’s brother Anil. Their race for growth has spilled across Europe, central Asia, Africa and Latin America. Their nets are cast wide; they are visible and invisible, overground as well as underground. The Tatas, for example, run more than 100 companies in 80 countries. They are one of India’s oldest and largest private sector power companies. They own mines, gas fields, steel plants, telephone, cable TV and broadband networks, and run whole townships. They manufacture cars and trucks, own the Taj hotel chain, Jaguar, Land Rover, Daewoo, Tetley Tea, a publishing company, a chain of bookstores, a major brand of iodised salt and the cosmetics giant Lakme. Their advertising tagline could easily be “you can’t live without us”.

The era of the privatisation of everything has made the Indian economy one of the fastest growing in the world. However, like any good old-fashioned colony, one of its main exports is its minerals. India’s new mega-corporations are those who have managed to muscle their way to the head of the spigot that is spewing money extracted from deep inside the earth. It’s a dream come true for businessmen – to be able to sell what they don’t have to buy.

Of late, the main mining conglomerates have embraced the arts – film, art installations and the rush of literary festivals that have replaced the 1990s obsession with beauty contests. Vedanta, currently mining the heart out of the homelands of the ancient Dongria Kond tribe for bauxite, is sponsoring a “Creating Happiness” film competition for young film students who they have commissioned to make films on sustainable development. Vedanta’s tagline is “Mining Happiness”.

The Jindal Group brings out a contemporary art magazine and supports some of India’s major artists (who naturally work with stainless steel). Essar was the principal sponsor of the Tehelka Newsweek Think Fest that promised “high-octane debates” by the foremost thinkers from around the world, which included major writers, activists and even the architect Frank Gehry.

Tata Steel and Rio Tinto (which has a sordid track record of its own) were among the chief sponsors of the Jaipur literary festival. . Many of the world’s best and brightest writers gathered to discuss love, literature, politics and Sufi poetry. Some tried to defend Salman Rushdie‘s right to free speech by reading from his proscribed book, The Satanic Verses. In every TV frame and newspaper photograph the logo of Tata Steel (and its tagline, “Values Stronger Than Steel”) loomed, a benign, benevolent host. The enemies of free speech were the supposedly murderous Muslim mobs, who, the festival organisers told us, could have even harmed the schoolchildren gathered there.

Yes, the hardline Darul-uloom Deoband Islamic seminary did protest at Rushdie being invited to the festival. Yes, some Islamists did gather at the festival venue to protest and yes, outrageously, the state government did nothing to protect the venue. The battle for free speech against Islamist fundamentalism made it to the world’s newspapers. It is important that it did. But there were hardly any reports about Tata, the festival sponsors’ role in the war in the forests of central India – a war ostensibly waged against Maoists, but actually against all those who are resisting displacement by corporations such as Tata.

There were no reports either about the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, which make even thinking an anti-government thought an offence. Or about the mandatory public hearing for the Tata Steel plant in Lohandiguda which local people complained actually took place hundreds of miles away in Jagdalpur, with a hired audience of 50 people, under armed guard. Where was free speech then?

No one mentioned Kalinganagar where, in 2006, police fired on those who protested against the construction of a boundary wall by Tata Steel. No one mentioned that journalists, academics and film-makers working on subjects unpopular with the Indian government – like the surreptitious part it played in the genocide of Tamils in the war in Sri Lanka, or the recently discovered unmarked graves in Kashmir – were being denied visas or deported straight from the airport.

But which of us sinners was going to cast the first stone? Not me, who lives off royalties from corporate publishing houses. We all watch Tata Sky, we surf the net with Tata Photon, we ride in Tata taxis, we stay in Tata hotels, sip our Tata tea in Tata bone china and stir it with teaspoons made of Tata steel. We buy Tata books in Tata bookshops. Hum Tata ka namak khatey hain. We’re under siege.

But which of us sinners was going to cast the first stone? Not me, who lives off royalties from corporate publishing houses. We all watch Tata Sky, we surf the net with Tata Photon, we ride in Tata taxis, we stay in Tata hotels, sip our Tata tea in Tata bone china and stir it with teaspoons made of Tata steel. We buy Tata books in Tata bookshops. Hum Tata ka namak khatey hain. We’re under siege.

If the sledgehammer of moral purity is to be the criteria for stone-throwing, then the only people who qualify are those who have been silenced already. Those who live outside the system; the outlaws in the forests or those whose protests are never covered by the press, or the well-behaved dispossessed, who go from tribunal to tribunal, bearing witness, giving testimony.

But the Litfest gave us our aha! moment. Oprah came. She said she loved India, that she would come again and again. It made us proud.

Read original article- Capitalism: A Ghost Story

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