India: Orissa state govt. petitions to grant Vedanta mining access to ancestral land of Dongria Kondh
"Indian tribe in new court fight to save sacred mountain", 26 Mar 2016
One of India’s most ancient tribes [Dongria Kondh] is facing a renewed threat of destruction after a fresh legal bid was launched by the State Government to open its ancestral lands to exploitation by a British-based mining giant...[T]he Orissa state government launched a yet another request to dig up the tribe’s sacred Niyamgiri mountain and turn it into a bauxite mine...The tribe’s fight to save their hills appeared to be nearing a permanent solution last year when Vedanta said it was drawing up plans to close the plant, along with nearby hospital and school built by the corporation...The Orissa government’s petition calls for a rerun on the grounds that new, young tribal members have come of age since the last vote, and others who voted in 2013 have passed away...Vedanta denies any connection to such activity, adding: “Vedanta is a law abiding company and we always adhere to the correct procedures.”