Social and environmental activist Prafulla Samantara, who was instrumental in mobilising Dongria Kondh tribes in their struggle against Vedanta's now defunct bauxite mining project in Odisha, has won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize this year, from Asia. The prize, dubbed as the Green Nobel, is awarded to individuals whose work influenced grassroots. Samantara, 65, was awarded the prize at a gala function in Washington DC on Monday.

"Prafulla Samantara led a historic 12-year legal battle that affirmed the indigenous Dongria Kondh's land rights and protected the Niyamgiri Hills from a massive, open-pit aluminum ore mine," a statement from the Goldman Environmental Foundation said.

The award comes just days after the Ministry of Home Affairs said in its report that the Niyamgiri Suraksha Samiti, one of the key organisations fighting against the mine, was a front for the Maoists. Several rights organisations, including Lok Shakti Abhiyan that Samantara is associated with, had petitioned the President and the Prime Minister denouncing the Home Ministry report.

As part of Vedanta's project, the bauxite rich-Niyamgiri hills in Rayagada district were to be mined to feed Vedanta's aluminum plant. A graduate in economics and law, Samantara reached out to the Dongria Kondh tribe following the 2003 public hearing for the project. In October 2004, the Odisha State Mining Company (OMC), inked an agreement with the UK-based Vedanta Resources to mine bauxite from Niyamgiri Hills, revered by the tribe," the statement added.

Along with a host of other organisations, Samantara began grassroots marches and also filed a litigation in the apex court to stop the mining project. The litigation ran a course of ten years and in a landmark judgment, the apex court ruled that the palli sabhas (village councils) of the tribe had the right to vote for or against the Vedanta mine, thus upholding the decision of 12 tribal village councils, who had all voted against the mine. The apex court's decision triggered Vedanta's exit from the project and it also announced closure of the aluminum refinery.

The Goldman Environmental Prize has been awarded in the past to veteran environmental lawyer MC Mehta; social activist Medha Patkar; Rashida Bi and Champa Devi Shukla, survivors of Bhopal gas disaster who fought for its victims. Mark Lopez, United States; Uro Macerl, Slovenia; Wendy Bowman, Australia, Rodrigo Tot, Guatemala and Rodrigue Katembo, Democratic Republic of Congo are the other recipients.