Australian activists have waged a ‘war’ against India’s Gautam Adani. They are preparing for a mass civil disobedience movement to rout Adani’s $21.7 billion Carmichael coal mine project from Queensland’s Galilee Basin. The proposed project is touted to be the biggest in the country and is feared to destroy the Great Barrier Reef and 69,000 people whose livelihoods depend on it.
The activists are asking people to come up with information about the project, details of payments to the Australian government by Adani and its dealing. The campaign – Work for Adani to Save the Reef – urges people to register to work for Adani to smoothen information gathering. “We need Adani employees who care more about Aboriginal homelands, the Reef, and the Great Artesian Basin than extra profit for multi-billionaire Gautam Adani,” read the campaign page.
“Do you know anyone who works for a public relations firm, lobbying firm or political party that deals with Adani? Do you know about an Adani event that’s not public? Are they attending a political fundraiser or mining industry event? Do you know whether Adani has donated more money to Labor or the LNP? One Nation or Katter Australia Party maybe?” are some of the questions the campaign page asks adding that if the Galilee Blockade campaign gets inside information on Adani and their friends, the activists will use direct action tactics to stop them. Over 12,000 people have already pledged direct support to the movement and are lobbying against the coal giant and pro-coal government to halt the project.
A delegation of activists from Australia had recently visited Gujarat to hand over an open letter against the project to Adani’s management heads. The letter was signed by 90 dignitaries, including prominent politicians, musicians, writers and sportspersons like Ian and Greg Chappell, Missy Higgins and Tim Winton.
The energy and infrastructure giant has also sought a $1 billion loan from the Australian government for a railway line just to transport coal to which the activists have said, “Australian voters will punish him (Australian PM Turnbull) for giving taxpayer-funded handouts to big multinational polluters.”