[Reader-list] contercurrentarticle on antiposco struggle

Asit Das asit1917 at gmail.com
Fri Aug 2 07:26:48 CDT 2013


Dear comrades,

Below is a long note, which you can also read at <
http://www.countercurrents.org/das250713.htm>, written by Asit Das about
the way the POSCO struggle has devolved over the last few months after the
arrest of Abhay Sahu, and the role of the CPI as the villagers of Gobindpur
and left organizations see it.

It's a long note, but very neccessary to read. When I was in Jagatsinghpur
almost two years ago I also saw a situation which sounds very similar to
what Asit describes with one exception - that CPI's betrayal had not yet
happened to everyone's common knowledge. But otherwise - the sidelining of
the collective struggle and the PPSS committee consisting of some 33 odd
community members, the centralization of power instead by Abhay Sahoo, the
already unsupportive attitude of the rest of CPI, the developing
differences between people in Gobindpur and Dhinkia on the question of
faith in Abhay Sahoo and PPSS, the distrust of Prashant Paikray as an
unelected "spokesperson" with NGO ties which the community did not agree to
and also mistrust of Paba, and in the midst of a community where women are
very strong, the forcing of Manorama into the role of a domestic servant to
Abhay Sahoo.. all these factors were very much there and I wanted to
discuss with others then itself about connecting their solidarity directly
with Gobindpur villagers instead of going through PPSS hierarchy. I had
spoken to some of you about this then already.

In terms of what to do - the struggling villagers of Gobindpur need direct
support and solidarity from now on, whether it's for solidarity from afar
or travel to Gobindpur to reoccupy lost ground and replant betel vines that
have been demolished. People need to travel there in waves.

Please read, respond.
in solidarity
Kaveri


More information about the reader-list mailing list