On August 12th, the police of Orissa, India detained David Pugh, a teacher who lives in San Francisco. The Orissa Police have also detained two anti-displacement activists, Protima Das and Pradeep, who accompanied Pugh. Pugh has been released from detention, but the Orissa police have ordered him to stay at his hotel to await further interogation.

David Pugh was visiting Kaliganagar and Sukinda to see the industrialization of the area and its effects on peoples' displacement, and to investigate the movements against industrialization and mining. All the activists were in Kalinganagar after attending a People’s Tribunal on Displacement organized in Bhubaneswar by anti-displacement movements from various parts of India including Orissa. Activists from Orissa came to the peoples tribunal to testify about their conditions of destitution and destruction.

In a press release, the movement against displacement in India has called on people to urgently contact various officials in Orissa and India and demand the release of all the activists. The statement added that, "The Government of Orissa has been unleashing brutal repression on the anti-displacement movement for the last two years. The detentions are part of the larger plans of the Government to coerce the people to accept the displacement and give up their lands. We appeal to all democrats to immediately intervene and put pressure on the Govermenent of Orissa to release Miss. Pratima, Mr. Pradeep and Mr. Amin Maharan, (if he is also arrested) without subjecting them to any kind of harassment. We demand the Government of Orissa to immediately release Miss Pratima Das, Mr. Pradeep and Mr. Amin Maharana and stop harassing Mr. David Pugh.”

Update! Pugh has been released from detention and he has issued a statement.

Visthapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan, Press Statement l Dave Pugh: Nandigram and the Struggle against Forced Displacement in India l Statement by Dave Pugh on his Detention during his Fact-Finding Trip to India