By Dayananda das

Devotees know that Lord Jagannath is not implicated in environmental destruction. However, innocent people may not understand that He has no connection, because Tata Steel Company is currently using the image of Sri Jagannath (displayed in this article) to soften the thrust of their rape of Sukinda Valley, Orissa. Tata Steel’s demonic association of Lord Jagannath with ecological destruction is inexcusable.

In September, 2007, the Blacksmith Institute, a US-based independent environmental group, named Sukinda, Orissa, one of the top ten locations in the world for environmental pollution. For years, in Sukinda Valley, twelve mining complexes have been leaching chemicals (particularly chromite) into water supplies. Sukinda is in the district of Cattak, adjacent to the Puri district, where Jagannath Puri is located. According to Blacksmith’s research, the chemicals from the Sukinda mines affect up to 2.6 million people. Aside from humans, the number of affected plants and animals is unimaginable. Cuttak is the breadbasket of Eastern Orissa. As such, that area provides grains for the Jagannath temple’s prasadam distribution. Moreover, in spite of the serious problem that mining in Cattak imposes, the Government of Orissa has declared itself helpless: “It is unique, it is gigantic, and it is beyond the means and purview of the [Orissa Pollution Control] Board to solve the problem.”

Tata Steel has been operating in Orissa since before Indian Independence. After World War II, American engineers came to India to teach mining and steel manufacturing methods to Tata Steel, which then became one of India’s major industries, making the Tata family one of the wealthiest in India for six decades. Like many other companies that pollute the environment, Tata Steel justifies its destruction by citing its good works. Their website states that for the local population they provide health care, dig wells, assist with agriculture, plant trees, irrigate, and so on. However, these charities do little to counteract pollution of vast areas of groundwater.

In addition, of special note to devotees of Lord Jagannath is the way in which Tata Steel portrays its mines. Their use of Lord Jagannath and His ten avatars on their website is most offensive. In the United States, if Monsanto, Dow Chemical, or Exxon were operating in the U.S. Bible Belt and they used Jesus to soften environmental destruction, Christians around the world would act in response. Consider what would happen if a non-Moslem company in the Middle East were to use an image of Mohammad to justify methods that pose a danger to humans and animals. The Moslem world would erupt.

Tata is neither Vaishnava nor Hindu. The Tata Steel Company has no connection with Jagannath. Their use of the image is blasphemous. They use it to justify the theft of natural resources from Lord Jagannath, and the destruction of His devotees, plants, and animals.

Around the world, and especially in India, devotees can take action. They can stop using Tata products until Tata Steel makes safe the Sukinda area of Orissa. ISKCON authorities in India can censure Tata Steel, and notify them that the ISKCON congregations in India are against Tata environmental policies, and that they must remove Jagannath from their website and any other promotional materials. Bhubanesvara ISKCON authorities can similarly approach Tata Steel authorities, explain ISKCON’s influence in the region, and demand the removal of Jagannath, while at the same time push for environmental accountability.

The information in this article was taken from the following websites: BBC News, Cyber Orissa, Tata Steel, India Abroad, Blacksmith Institute, and others. The picture of Lord Jagannath appears on the Tata Steel website: http://www.tatasteel.com/Company/ORISSA_chromite.asp

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