by Ashis Sinha
Bokaro: A violent clash occurred at the Vedanta ESL gate, situated approximately 35 kilometers from the district headquarters of Bokaro, leaving several individuals, including security personnel and local villagers, injured. The incident unfolded on Monday when villagers initiated a protest to voice their demands, which included employment opportunities and fair wages for workers at Vedanta-ESL.
Under the banner of JBKSS (Jharkhand Bokaro Koylanchal Shramik Sangh) and Yuva Sangram Samiti, the demonstrators blocked access to the Bhagabandh, Modidih, and 47 Khata plant gates. Eyewitnesses reported that the clash ensued when Vedanta-ESL security personnel, along with district police, resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the protestors.
As tensions escalated, both protestors and locals engaged in violent confrontations, resulting in numerous injuries among the demonstrators and law enforcement officers. According to the villagers, who had originally received land compensation for the establishment of the plant, their peaceful agitation turned chaotic after the security personnel’s actions.
The incident came to a head around 12:30 pm when protestors and security personnel confronted each other at the Bhagabandh RMHS gate. Allegedly, in the presence of district police, private security personnel from Vedanta-ESL initiated a lathi charge on an innocent woman, identified as Lakshmi Devi, wife of Fatik Mahato from Kumbatand village. This aggressive action further inflamed the protestors, leading to clashes involving sticks and stones. Multiple individuals, including Laxmi Devi, Dilip Mahato, and Arjun Mahato, sustained injuries from the lathi charge. A female police officer and many others were also injured during the ensuing violence.
Additionally, the agitated protestors damaged the vehicle belonging to the Chandankiyari Circle Officer (CO).
Police sources reported that the initial dispute between workers and villagers escalated into a clash, prompting law enforcement to employ lathi charges to restore order. Injured individuals were promptly transported to hospitals and local nursing homes for medical treatment, according to the police.
The protestors accused the police of trying to suppress their demands in favour of the company. Dilip Tiwari, the District President of the Marxist Coordination Committee, asserted that the individuals who had sacrificed their ancestral lands for the plant’s establishment felt cheated by the management. Tiwari alleged that the “Rayatts” had not received permanent employment, and those who had been employed did not receive regular work—a situation mirrored by local labourers.
In response to the incident, Yusuf UZ Zaman, a Public Relations official from Vedanta-ESL, stated, “While ESL, Vedanta maintains that issues should be resolved through talks, the locals have taken the law into their own hands. They have indulged in stone-pelting and assaults on state police and our security with sticks and stones. In the process, many policemen have been injured. The locals also damaged private and police vehicles outside the plant gate. We strongly condemn such acts of violence and remain open to a constructive dialogue.”
Furthermore, Vedanta-ESL management released a statement, saying, “We would like to state for the record that ESL Steel Limited, a Vedanta Group Company, is a law-abiding and ethically compliant organization. ESL Steel has been, is and will continue to work tirelessly for the benefit and welfare of society and the community in the areas where we are present. As of June 13, 2023, 90% of all 13 points of the tripartite discussion between ESL, JBKSS, and Police Station I/C, Siyaljori/Bangadiya have been resolved amicably.”
The statement continued, “It is also important to note that everyone who gave up their land for the construction of the steel plant has been adequately and fairly compensated. The organization has taken the time to ensure that not a single person who has donated their land for the setting up of this plant has been left out. Any case which may have been left out would be dealt with as per the agreement. As an organization, ESL is committed to the well-being of all communities around its area of operations, and we believe that all issues can be amicably resolved through talks.”
