BHOPAL/NEW DELHI: The 14-year old struggle against mining giants in Orissa got a shot in the arm after Mukta Jhodia, a tribal woman leader fighting against the Hindalco-led Utkal Alumina's bauxite mining and processing project in Kashipur, Orissa, won the first Chingari Award for Women Fighting Corporate Crime.

Goldman Award winners and leaders of the struggle for justice in Bhopal Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla handed over a trophy and citation, while writer Jyotsna Kamal presented a Rs. 50,000 cheque to Jhodia. The awards were presented at a festive ceremony presided over by Chief Guest Achyutanandan, Vice-Chancellor of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University for Journalism and Communication in Rajendra Bhavan in Bhopal.

Jhodia's award comes at a time when communities in her home state are threatened with eviction to make way for a range of mining and mining-related industries. A resident of Sriguda Goudaguda village in Orissa's Rayagada district, 45-year old Mukta has locked horns with a Birla-led mining consortium and has mobilized her community to successfully stave off plans to mine the bauxite rich plateaus in her motherland.

The mother of a married son and a daughter, Mukta has been a key source of inspiration and awareness among Kashipur's tribal communities. A fiery speaker, she has tirelessly traveled to tribal villages around Rayagada, often on bicycle with her husband or son, informing them about Birla's plans to exploit their "bheeta mati" - motherland.

"The Chingari Award is particularly relevant at this juncture where the Government has made its intentions of submitting to corporate-led globalization extremely clear. The coming years will see some of the world's most powerful corporations pitted against some of the most marginalized people - adivasis, dalits and peasants - with the police playing hitman for the investors," said Mukta Jhodia.

A six-person jury, led by Mahashweta Devi, screened 10 nominations from rural areas around the country, and short-listed four women. Other jury members include Ajitha George (Jharkhand), S. Usha (Kerala), Sujata Gothoskar and Mira Sadgopal (Maharashtra) and Pamela Philipose (New Delhi).

"To fight corporate crime, one needs patience, courage, staying power and the ability to withstand mental and physical hardships - all inherently female qualities.

We hope that the recognition and the solidarity that will come in the wake of the award will not only strengthen the award recipient's campaign but also inspire more women to lead struggles against environmental and human rights violations of corporations," said Chingari managing trustees Rashida Bee and Champa Devi.

The Awards panel clarified that the prize was "more inspirational than competitive."