Young people from India and Australia have joined forces to put the spotlight on social movements in both countries that are resisting Adani’s devastating coal projects and "crony capitalism."

From destroying sacred Wangan and Jagalingou land and waters to dig a coal mine in Queensland, Australia, to displacing Adivasi (Indigenous) from their ancestral homes to burn coal in Godda, India – wherever the Adani company goes, it disregards Traditional Owners and the community, and it brings environmental destruction.

Here are 7 fights to stop Adani, led by local communities, that you need to know about. 

The Adani company leaves destruction in its wake. This week we are spotlighting social movements in Australia and India resisting Adani’s devastating projects and crony capitalism. #StopAdani #SaveMollem #StopAdaniSavePulicat #StopAdaniSaveChennai #peacefulprotestcontinues pic.twitter.com/1ahZHG2A2H

— Stop Adani (@stopadani) January 27, 2021

1. The fight to stop Adani’s Carmichael coal project, Queensland Australia

When Adani started trying to dig their coal mine ten years ago, they didn’t count on hundreds of thousands of people working together to stop Adani’s coal project from desecrating sacred land of the Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners, fuelling dangerous climate change and climate impacts like bushfires, storms, droughts and heatwaves, wrecking precious water resources and destroying the Reef. 

2020 marked 10 years since Adani started trying to dig their Carmichael coal project - and they still don’t have a functioning coal mine. Watch the documentary People Power vs Adani - The Fight of Our Times to find out how this grassroots movement has been standing up to a billionaire and succeeding.

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2. Adivasi resistance to displacement by Adani in Godda, India

In Godda, India, Adani are displacing thousands of local people, including Adivasi (Indigenous) people to build a new coal-fired power station and burn coal from the Carmichael mine in Queensland, Australia. But local communities are fighting back.

Local people resisting Adani’s Godda power station have had their land stolen, their crops destroyed, and been beaten by police. They are still resisting Adani’s coal plans despite this oppression and intimidation. 

Watch the shocking documentary below and help us put pressure on General Electric, who are supplying critical equipment for Adani’s coal power station at Godda.

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3. Save Mollem, stop Adani, save Goa!

India’s green heart and internationally important forests are being torn apart for Adani’s coal, but the youth of Goa and local communities are fighting back.

The forests of India’s Western Ghats are recognised by UNESCO as one of the World’s Eight hottest hotspots of biodiversity. However, three projects threaten to cut this precious wilderness into pieces so the coal industry can get its hooks into Goa – the expansion of a highway, double-tracking of an existing railway line and setting up of a transmission power line.

Locals campaigning to protect Mollem from these projects say they serve the interest of Adani - along with other companies - which want to transport their coal through these precious forests from Goa’s only port. 

Follow the campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Mollem National Park in Goa, India is one of UNESCO's 8 hottest biodiversity hotspots 💚

But Mollem is under threat from coal expansion that locals say will benefit Adani 🚫

Support @savemollemgoa. Credit: Tabz Malik & Gaurang Sawant Talawliker. #StopAdani #SaveMollem pic.twitter.com/IfT45QuBzR

— Stop Adani (@stopadani) January 30, 2021

4. Fisherfolk fight against Adani’s Vizhinjam Port, Kerala

Since 2015, fishing communities in Kerala have been bravely resisting construction of Adani’s controversial deep sea Vizhinjam Port - a project that is destroying the local marine ecosystem and the lives and livelihoods of local fisherfolk. 

Fisherfolk in Kerala are local heroes. When floods devastated the region in 2018, many used their boats to perform dangerous rescue missions and save lives. Now they are fighting to save their own lives from Adani’s destructive port.

Locals say Adani had promised jobs and compensation, but there have been no jobs, and  compensation has not been disbursed adequately, leaving thousands of fisher folk and fish sellers without livelihoods.

In 2020, fisher folk stopped construction of the port for 32 days by blocking the road to the project site. Huge, water-based protests resumed this year. Check out the links in the comments to find out more about their ongoing resistance to Adani. 

You can read more about their fight here, here and here.

5. We stand with India’s Farmers

For months now, Indian farmers have been protesting Modi and Adani’s farm laws, which will deregulate farming in India. The protests have been unprecedented in scale, and are continuing with farmers calling for the laws to be repealed.

Arguably the largest protests in human history, farmer-led protests in the hundreds of millions erupted last year in response to three laws passed by Modi’s Government, with farmers concerned deregulation of agricultural markets will favour corporate interests such as billionaire Adani’s agricultural businesses, and make farmers vulnerable to exploitation.

We stand with Indian farmers taking on crony capitalism and Adani’s influence in Indian politics. Read the Australian-based #StopAdani movement’s statement of solidarity here.

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6. The fight to save Pulicat from Adani’s port

In 2019, Adani let pollution spill into the Caley Valley wetlands in Queensland. But Adani are not only threatening wetlands in Australia.

Pulicat lagoon is India’s second-largest lagoon and it is famous for its wetlands. Here, Adani is proposing an enormous port in the village of Kattupali. A huge area of biodiverse coastal and intertidal ecosystems will be destroyed, and Adani will even reclaim over 2000 acres from the sea, changing the Indian coastline forever. Beach areas are likely to be paved and privatised, and fishing villages could be wiped off the map.

The city of Chennai also relies on Pulicat. It buffers cyclones that come in from the ocean and is an important basin for fresh water. Altering the coastal area could threaten water security and safety for those living in Chennai. 

Follow Chennai Climate Action Group on Facebook to keep up with the campaign.

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7. The fight to save forests and farmlands in Hasdeo Arand, Chattisgarh, and Hazaribagh, Jharkhand  

Just like in Australia, Adani’s coal mines are destroying precious biodiversity and trashing Indigenous rights in India. In Chhattisgarh, India, Adani’s mining operations threaten the ancient Hasdeo Arand forest – one of the largest contiguous stretches of dense forest in central India, covering about 170,000 hectares.

The Hasdeo Arand is rich in biodiversity and home to many threatened species, elephants, leopards and sloth bears. It is also the ancestral homelands of the Gond Adivasi (Indigenous) people. 

The Gond people and local villagers are fighting against compulsory land acquisition for Adani’s coal mining, which could see 80% of the entire forest area and 30 villages destroyed. The Gond people have never given permission for mining on their homelands. 

You can read more about the fight to save the Hasdeo Arand here.