With a growing betel vine sector as well as thriving paddy cultivation and fishing, it is no wonder that villagers in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district have resisted the state government’s forceful acquisition of land for the POSCO project. Political parties of all shades as well as the intelligentsia are increasingly coming together in support of the agitation. The future of the anti-POSCO movement looks bright, but will it put an end to POSCO’s plan?

The liberalisation process that started in India in the early 1990s has made Orissa potentially the most attractive destination for large capital-intensive projects by private-sector firms – typically mineral-based ones. These projects are facing opposition from the people, especially those likely to be displaced and those who will be indirectly affected.

This article describes the essential characteristics of various people's movements in Orissa against the backdrop of the recent Kalinga Nagar killings and also analyses how society reacts to such movements.