'We are proceeding with the project on the basis agreed with them and we urge these NGOs to respect the decision of the legitimate authority in India, the world's largest democracy,' it added.

An ActionAid spokeswoman said mining the mountains of Nyamgiri would be like demolishing Stonehenge, a prehistoric stone monument in England that is considered sacred by many people.

'Just as the public would be horrified to see Stonehenge demolished to make way for mining, ActionAid believes they should be even more troubled by Vedanta's plans to flatten the heart of the Kondh's culture, the land they also rely on for their future,' said Meredith Alexander.

Sitaram Kulisika, a Kondh tribal who was flown over from Orissa, said: 'Last year Vedanta directors promised not to mine without our consent. I am here to request all shareholders to honour that promise and save our livelihood and our god.'

Protesters are trying to persuade British shareholders, including the Church of England and several county councils (local authorities), to pressurise Vedanta into abandoning its Nyamgiri plans.

In 2007, the Norwegian Ministry of Finance excluded Vedanta from further investments of the Norwegian government's pension fund after its Council on Ethics warned of 'an unacceptable risk of contributing to severe environmental damages and serious or systematic violations of human rights by continuing to invest in the company.'