Anti-POSCO outfit to observe Black Day on June 22

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar: POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS) on Friday urged people’s movements and organisations, political parties, activists, intellectuals and people at large to observe Black Day on June 22.It was on June 22, 2005 that a memorandum of understanding was signed was signed between Government of Odisha and POSCO for establishment of a steel plant by POSCO in Dhinkia area of Jagatsinghpur district.In a statement, PPSS spokesperson Prashant Paikray said that for the last nine years, POSCO and the State government had employed a number of tactics to sabotage their peaceful democratic movement.“We are determined to continue our fight till POSCO withdraw the project.To make this struggle a success, we earnestly request you to support our cause despite continuous and misleading propaganda made by POSCO,” Paikray said.“We realise that it’s not just fighting for our land and for our livelihoods; it’s all about fighting for democracy itself.We take courage from all the various movements and groups from around the world that continue to support us and for whom, in turn, we have come to represent the struggle for democracy,” Paikray said in his appeal to various people’s movements.He requested those supporting the anti-POSCO movement spearheaded by PPSS to join by joining the agitating villagers at Dhinkia or taking the initiative to organise protest march at their own place on June 22.