Rourkela Land Protest Continues as Bishop Calls for Restrained Christmas

Rourkela, December 24, 2025: As villagers in parts of Rourkela district continue a round-the-clock protest against land acquisition for limestone mining by OCL, the Bishop of Rourkela, Kishor Kumar Kujur, has issued a pastoral letter calling for solidarity with the affected families and urging that Christmas celebrations be observed in a low profile. Referring to the situation on the ground, the letter states that people from five panchayats are “out in the field day and night in this cold winter without proper food and provisions to protect their land,” and notes that some land has already been “grabbed/taken in position by the OCL with the help of the Govt. by force.”

According to local sources, efforts to acquire the land reportedly began several years ago, even before OCL (Orissa Cement Limited) entered the picture, and have consistently been opposed by local residents. From the outset, people objected to giving up their land and maintained their refusal throughout successive stages of the process.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a public hearing related to the acquisition was conducted. Residents protested at the hearing and clearly stated that they were not willing to part with their land. Despite this, officials reportedly submitted a positive report to the government, stating that the people were willing to give their land. Residents have described this report as false.

Objections were also raised during the social impact assessment. Even then, officials allegedly informed the government that more than 80 per cent of the people had agreed to the acquisition, a claim residents strongly deny. According to them, their objections were neither acknowledged nor reflected in the official reports.

At a later panchayat meeting, villagers again submitted written statements saying they would not give their land. It is alleged that the same names were subsequently used to show consent, with documents sent to the government claiming that the villagers had signed in favour of handing over the land to the company.

Based on these submissions, the government proceeded with the acquisition on paper. Compensation amounts were deposited in the treasury after residents refused to accept them, and the land was officially handed over to OCL.

On December 13, between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m., company representatives accompanied by a heavy police presence—around 30 to 40 large vehicles—entered the area, barricaded it, and began excavation work. The land had recently been harvested, and large pits were dug. While the initial entry involved limited numbers, protests intensified from the following day.

Villagers questioned officials and asked them to produce documents proving consent, but officials were reportedly unable to do so. Since December 13, residents have remained on the land continuously, day and night, despite severe cold conditions, with temperatures dropping to around six degrees Celsius at night.

Residents have written to the district collector seeking withdrawal of the letter handing over the land to OCL and demanding restoration of land records, which have already been transferred to the company. There have also been calls to reclaim possession of the land.

The affected area is historically significant to the local population, with the district having a Catholic population of about 2.85 lakh and the region forming the early base from which the diocese later expanded to 44 parishes. Church land in the locality has also reportedly been included in the acquisition.

It has been clarified that the land was not selected because of the religious identity of the residents, but because the area is rich in limestone and forms part of the company’s proposed mining expansion. The district is a Scheduled Area with a predominantly tribal population, and concerns have been raised that tribal protections are being overlooked in favour of industrial and corporate interests.

Appealing for solidarity, the pastoral letter asks how Christmas can be celebrated “with great pomp and show and with new clothes” when people are in such distress, and urges that celebrations be kept low-key, “without purchasing new clothes and without big feasting.” Support has also come from others who have been assisting the protesters with essential needs as they continue their sit-in on the land.

By Catholic Connect Reporter & Fr. Purushottam Nayak