SHILLONG, MAY 29: The banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) outfit has threatened to call for a 12-hour “shutdown” if the National Green Tribunal (NGT) failed to revoke its order on blanket ban on rat hole mining in Meghalaya in its next round of sitting scheduled on June 2.
The decision was taken at the central executive committee (CEC) meeting of the HNLC held on Wednesday.
In a statement issued on Thursday, HNLC publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said, “Keeping in mind the interests and also the livelihood of the people in Khasi-Jaintia Hills region, the HNLC has come under a conclusion that if the ban by the NGT is not revoked, a 12 hour total shutdown on June 3 will be called in the six districts of the region.”
Expressing stiff opposition to the ban, Nongtraw said, the tribunal’s ban has created a situation where the livelihood of thousands of families would be at stake for pleasing just a few.
“If the NGT has an alternative option to provide employment to all the of people affected by the ban then the council has no problems with ban,” Nongtraw said.
According to Nongtraw, before the NGT took such a step it was also important on its part to look at the after effects of the ban. “The entire Shillong Bye pass construction and its objective fails if the coal laden trucks do not ply on it as the government has spent Rs2000 crores approximately if not more on the entire project,” Sainkupar said. He was of the opinion that it will be a total wastage of the public money.
The HNLC further questioned if the NGT is ready to bear the cost of this total wastage? Or will the tribunal compensate this?
Stating that most of the transporters, thousands of coal-laden trucks ply everyday to Assam and Bangladesh are from the state, Sainkupar also questioned how will the government suddenly implement such an order that affects lives of thousands if not lakhs of people?
“At least the NGT should have given the people involved in this business a minimum of one year to plan their options once the ban is imposed based on humanitarian grounds,” Sainkupar opined.
Nongtraw said most of the non tribal labourers engaged in the coal quarries have left for their respective states, but the questioned is where local labourers will go as they are left with no alternatives.
Meanwhile, the HNLC said that according to the instrument of Accession (IOA) the issue of coal mining is a State subject, but the Government of India (GOI) is instead interfering into a state subject.
This is one of the primary reasons that compelled the HNLC to take drastic step of rebelling against the GOI and the IOA, as it was forcefully signed at gunpoint. This is also a clear cut indication that the powers conferred in the district council paragraph 12(a)is in itself contradictory as it is subordinate to the powers of the GOI, Nongtraw said.
Pointing out that scientific mining requires a lot of land and will also destroy the fragile environment of the region, Nongtraw questioned, “Is rat hole mining destroying the Environment?”
“The NGT should find out itself, before putting the words of vested interests in their reports, if at all environment destruction is what they are after, and if at all the ban is not biased then all other business which affect the environment like cement plants, which are equally dangerous should also be immediately banned,” Nongtraw demanded.
The HNLC also questioned the NGT for not imposing a similar ban on uranium mining by the centre including the proposed move of mining the mineral in Meghalaya.
“The mining of uranium in the region as planned by the GOI is in fact more dangerous compared to coal mining,” Nongtraw said adding what has stopped the NGT to act on uranium mining by the centre when mining of such mineral does not only affects environment, but it can affect the existence of every living being.
Stating that thousands of poor people would be affected by the NGT interference with the economy of this tribal state, as the people are the rightful owners of the lands, Nongtraw said, “Coal mining is a livelihood of our people and snatching away their livelihood would tantamount to snatching away their lives.”
Lambasting the state government on its failure to chalk out strategy to protect the environment but simply collected crores of rupees for the last many decades, Nongtraw blamed the delay in framing the mining policy by the government of Meghalaya as the cause of such ban by the NGT in the state.- By Our Reporter
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