UK's Vedanta criticised for poor human rights records in Orissa
According to Amnesty International, the UK company’s report Vedanta’s Perspective is “meaningless and hollow” and only attempts to calm investor fears over its controversial operations in India as it seeks further expansion in the region.
“Vedanta’s human rights record falls far short of international standards for businesses,” said Polly Truscott, deputy director of Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific programme. “It refuses to consult properly with communities affected by its operations and ignores the rights of indigenous peoples.”
According to Amnesty, Vedanta’s report claims to put new information on its activities in the public domain. “But it glosses over most of our findings,” said Truscott.
The FTSE 100-listed company has also failed to take into account investigations into its operations in Orissa by Indian regulatory bodies as well as international authorities such as the National Human Rights Commission, the human rights charity organisation said.
The lack of change in two villages in Orissa -- Lanjigarh and Niyamgiri illustrate that little has changed, Truscott said.
For the past five years, Vedanta has been seeking to expand its existing alumina refinery in Lanjigarh and gain permission for a joint venture to mine bauxite in the nearby Niyamgiri Hills inhabited by the indigenous Dongria Kondh community.
But it has failed to inform the local communities of the potential risks of its operation and ignored community concerns, breaching regulatory frameworks. It has also failed to adhere to accepted international standards and principles on the human rights impact of business operations, according to Amnesty’s criticism.
The charity’s research has shown that the Lanjigarh refinery has caused serious pollution and current systems are insufficient to avoid a recurrence. It has undermined the human rights of local Majhi Kondh Adivasi and Dalit communities, including their right to the highest attainable standard of health, a healthy environment, adequate standard of living, water, decent work and food.
Amnesty’s paper -- Vedanta’s Perspective Uncovered: Policies cannot mask practices in Orissa -- has noted that Vedanta has ignored its impact on the human rights of local communities in Orissa and has not disclosed relevant information to local communities – such as the impact of pollution caused by the company’s activities.
Calling Vedanta’s new approach “meaningless and hollow”, Truscott called for it to go much further in demonstrating that its new approach will make a difference.
Vedanta has been repeatedly exposed for failing to inform the local communities of the potential risks of its operation and ignoring community concerns, in breach of state and national regulatory frameworks. They have also failed to adhere to accepted international standards and principles on the human rights impact of business operations, Truscott said.
Amnesty International developed four criteria based on the UN Framework and Guiding Principles for businesses to judge Vedanta’s proposals. The four criteria were
• They must be based on an adequate understanding of what is required to meet international human rights standards
• They should address the need to remediate existing abuses
• They should not be traded off against other policies
• There should be proper accountability for their implementation
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