Government seeks details on child protesters

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Monday suspended land acquisition for the proposed Posco plant in view of the growing opposition with the participation of women and children and civil society activists.Despite several high-level meetings, the Government remained non-committal on resumption of the land acquisition process.Sources said it would not be taken up for the time being in view of the support to the anti-Posco brigade from different organisations across the country. Rush of political party leaders, and civil society activists, to the proposed project site in support of the anti-Posco brigade has strengthened the movement further.Meanwhile, the Government has ordered an inquiry into the use of children in the agitation. Villagers of Dhinkia and Gobindpur have formed a three-layer ring of children, women and male members to prevent entry of officials and cops.Women and Child Development Minister Anjali Behera told this paper that the District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO) has been asked to submit a report on the use of child protesters within 24 hours.  He will report on the number of children who are protesting, find out their average age and whether they are from the same locality or have been brought from outside.  The DSWO will also find out whether the children joined the agitation voluntarily or were forced to join it. The Minister said action will be taken after receiving the report.Meanwhile, Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar joined the agitators at ground zero on Monday and expressed solidarity with them.  Describing land acquisition as a gross human rights violation, Patkar said she is with the children and women of the villages to oppose the Posco project.Patkar’s visit coincides with the observance of Martyr’s Day by Posco Pratirodha Sangram Samiti (PPSS) to commemorate the death of an anti-Posco activist Dula Mandal, who died on this day in 2008.Meanwhile, the Chief Secretary reviewed the situation at a meeting with Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC-central) Pradip Kumar Mohapatra and Jagatsinghpur Collector N C Jena.