Whose Land Is It Anyway?

Vedanta Resources has decided that it will mine bauxite in the Niyamgiri Hills of Orissa. The Dongria Kondhas, who have inhabited the region for centuries, have decided that they won't let them. Vedanta plans to go on an expansion spree soon, with a mine and extended refineries. With the work they have been doing for the last few years, they have successfully polluted local perennial streams, forests and the very air the Kondhas breathe. A tribe that had been masters of the art of horticulture can no longer grow rich fruit. Their subsistence economy, largely agrarian and based on shifting cultivation, is being jeopardized. The tribals know all of this, but not from the horse's mouth. Vedanta has not bothered to educate locals about the adverse effects of their industrial ambitions. Disease, poverty and many outraged rights later, the tribals are up in arms, having vowed to protect their forefathers' land, and not let the London-based company call the shots. What has probably created the most recent ferment is the fact that the Kondhas faith has been called into question, then derided and ignored, given that Vedanta plans to build their mine atop the hill, where the Dongria Kondha deity, Niyam Rajah Penhu, is believed to be incarnated. At this point, the clans are ready to fight tooth and nail, for this is their land, a land they live and love in, and cherish and treasure.
To help the Amnesty International efforts towards safeguarding the natives of the region, sign the following petition. With your vote, you can make a difference.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/appeals-for-action/stop-mining-and-refinery-projects-devastating-communities-india