"India: Land rights defenders under attack in Odisha state", 11 October 2022

[...] Since 2005, when land was forcibly acquired for the now abandoned POSCO project, local communities have been facing eviction, loss of livelihood, and criminalisation. POSCO, a South Korean corporation, had planned to construct a steel plant on community land, in, what was at the time, the largest foreign investment in India. The proposed project sparked resistance from the communities ... and drew international condemnation, including from eight UN Mandate holders.

After a sustained struggle by the community for many years, POSCO finally withdrew in March 2017. However ... the government of Odisha handed over the community land to Indian steel major, JUSL in September 2018, to set up steel and cement plants, a power plant and a port. JSW Steel Limited is part of the Sajjan Jindal controlled JSW Group. It is estimated that, if implemented, the project would displace up to 40,000 people from their land and livelihoods, impinge upon their human rights to food, water, work, health, adequate housing, healthy environment and other economic and social rights, and will have disastrous effects on the environment.

The State of Odisha has responded with severe repression to the protests. The violence and criminalization against members of the Anti-Jindal and Anti-POSCO movement has terrorized the communities that have mobilized in opposition to the project. Women have always been at the forefront of the resistance... More than 60 community members have been arrested over the past seven months as a result of the irresistance to the projects. More than 72 criminal cases have been registered against over 1,000 community members. Human rights defenders involved in organizing and leading the protests have faced serious reprisals including arrests, detention, physical assault, threats and harassment....