Anglican Church urged to pull back from Orissa mining project

Even as the Church of England is ruminating over its stance over the bauxite mining of Niyamgiri Hills, a Hindu leader has called on the Episcopal Church to practice what it preached.

The Church of England is a shareholder of the Vedanta Resources, a multinational mining company that is being severely criticised for setting up an alumina refinery in Orissa's 'sacred' Niyamgiri Hills.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed accused the Church for double standards over the issue of environment.

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Douglas Williams should clarify where he and the Church stood on the issue of bauxite mining in which it has a financial stake, Zed asked.

Zed, who is also the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, feels the Anglican Church must practice what it preached. He quotes the Church's environment policy that states, "The whole creation belongs to God. As human beings we are part of the whole and have a responsibility to love and care for what God has entrusted to us as temporary tenants of the planet."

It has said, "We are not consumers of what God has made; we are in communion with it", and "...challenge itself and all members of the Church of England to make care for creation, and repentance for its exploitation, fundamental to their faith, practice, and mission..."

The Hindu leader pointed that Church of England was member of Church Investors Group (CIG) which encouraged members to "formulate policies relating to investment that are based on Christian ethical principles" and which seeks to "reflect the moral stance and teachings of our faith in our investment portfolios".

He asked the CIG - an ecumenical gathering of 37 investors connected with the Churches of Britain and Ireland launched in 1973 - to investigate whether Church's investment met the "ethical principles and moral stance" set-up by its group.

The Church of England has reportedly about 4.1 million dollars stake in the mining project of Vedanta Resources.

Meanwhile, representatives of the Church of England's ethical investment group met with two members of the Dongria Kondh tribe who demanded the withdrawal of Church's investments in the mining company.

Following the meeting, a spokesman of the Church said it plans to meet the management of the mining company to ensure "a robust ethical investment policy."

Several NGO organizations have strongly protested against the mining project. They say the mine will destroy the region's ecosystem and threaten the future of the 8,000 strong Kondh tribe who depend on the hill for water and livelihood.