Rahul Ngiri Visit Bhubaneswar : 30/August/2013 In August, 2010, AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting at Lanjigarh, the foot hills of Niyamgiri Hills in Kalahandi district. Then Rahul Gandhi threw his support behind the tribals, particularly those belonging to Dangaria Kandha community, in their fight against Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL). The Nehru-Gandhi scion had came to celebrate Vijay Diwas as the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) had rejected environmental clearance to the proposed bauxite mining atop Niyamgiri Hills. The tribals were happy over the development as Rahul announced in the public meeting that he would like to take the role of a “Sepoy” (soldier) for tribals at Delhi Durbar. Exactly three years after, Rahul Gandhi, as the Congress Vice-President, has planned to visit the same area and meet Dangia Kandhas in September 2013. Rahul’s visit come after all 12 Gram Sabhas of tribals rejected the proposal for bauxite mining in Odisha’s Niyamgiri hills. Gandhi will attend public rallies in the two districts of Rayagada and Kalahandi which the Niyamgiri hills span, during his visit to the state between 20 and 30 September, OPCC President Jaydev Jena who met the AICC leader in New Delhi today, said. “Rahulji will visit Odisha any day between 20 to 30 September after completion of the urban poll process in the state,” Jena said. Jena said that Gandhi was interested to visit Rayagada and Kalahandi districts to meet the Dongria Kondhs, the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) opposed to bauxite mining on the Niyamgiri Hills. Gandhi would also address a public rally in Bhubaneswar and a press meet during his visit to the state. Rahul’s visit is said to be a warning for the ruling BJD which is facing a tough time to garner support in western and southern region of the state. The Congress’s tribal card is likely to hit the ruling party as Rahul could also highlight the provisions of the Food Security Bill and UPA government’s pro-poor steps.
Posted on: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 12:22:09 +0000
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