School children force Odisha to halt land acquisition for Posco
06 Feb 2013
The Odisha government has halted land acquisition for Posco's mega project in Jagatsinghpur district into its fourth day today amidst rising resistance from locals, including women and children.
School children joined en masse in the anti-Posco agitation at the proposed plant site in Jagatsinghpur district today as the state government renewed its land acquisition with heavy police deployment.
The police was handicapped as hundreds of school children abstained classes and joined the anti-Posco agitation demanding immediate withdrawal of police force from the area.
"We have not asked the children to come here. Their parents send them to the agitation," said Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) president Abhay Sahu, who has been sitting on a hunger strike since Tuesday.
PPSS, a CPI-backed agrarian outfit, had been opposing forced land acquisition for South Korean steel company Posco's Rs52,000-crore project.
Almost all schools in Dhinikia, Patana and Gobindpur villages wore deserted as the children joined the stir.