July, 2024 Newsletter : Father Stan Swamy's 3rd Death Anniversary and the Discussion on Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita on 5 July

Newsletter

July, 2024

Justice in Mining Network

Bagaicha Social Centre

Ranchi, Ranchi

1. "Putting so much police force here (public hearing) was not needed as we're not terrorists": says the Munda at the Parasi Gold Block hearing

On 3 July, Bagaicha's team visited the Parsi Panchayat in Tamar in Ranchi district where gold mining is about to be opened. Parsi was surveyed by the Geological Survey of India in 2008. There has been talk of acquiring 650 acres of Parsi land and 250 acres of Kutacholi land. It was given to Rungta Mines in the auction. Villagers say that apart from gold, petrol has also been found here. Surveys have been done but the mines have not been opened yet. About 4000 villagers had opposed this project in Baradih, Ghoomandih. The project was approved in 2018, but it does not have environmental clearance. There is a gold reserve of 7.47 million tonnes. This is Khuntkatti land, ie, the traditional village of Munda tribals on which they have ownership rights. Any project requires permission and consent of the Gram Sabha. The villagers have opposed this project and at present no mining work has started. But, administrative officials continuously visit the village (without the permission of the Gram Sabha). Bagaicha team discussed on the community ownership, khuntkatti and PESA with Parsi villagers.

The panchayati bhawan visited was in a dismal state that lacked presence and working of the officials.

Tamar is surrounded by the Chota Nagpur Gneissic Hills in the north and the Dalma Hills in the south. The main drainage here is controlled by the Karkari River, a tributary of the Subarnarekha River, which flows east and north-east. Jharkhand has gold reserves of 7.2 million tonnes. There is a gold reserve of 9.894 lakh tonnes in East Singhbhum which is spread over an area of 7 5 hectares of Parasi of Tamar Tehsil (Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited). 9.894 lakh tonnes of gold is in two main villages: Babai Kundi (Amlesha Panchayat) and Sindoori. The quality of gold here is 1.055% (cutoff 0.5%) which is a very high rate. Public hearing for environmental clearance of Parasi gold deposit was held on 22.08.2019 at the Rungta Mines Limited plant in the playground near Bajrangbali Chowk, Village, Thana Tamar, Parasi.

The total gold mine lease area will be 75.273 hectares. The production mine will have a capacity of 60,006.18 tonnes per annum and the beneficiation plant will have a capacity of 200 tonnes per annum. The mine will be leased for 50 years. The cost of the project will be Rs 13.63 crore. Mining will be done by opencast mechanized method. 12.80 million cubic meters of waste will be generated. The water requirement for drinking, beneficiation plant and other allied activities within the lease area is estimated at 461 cubic meter per day. According to government sources, the project will provide direct employment to 109 people.

Public hearing for environmental clearance of Parasi gold deposit was held on 22.08.2019 at the Rungta Mines Limited plant in the playground near Bajrangbali Chowk, Village, Thana Tamar, Parasi. In the public hearing, the village Munda strongly questions the operation and owners of the Rungta mines. Further, he says that Hindalco is operating near them since 50 years, yet they have seen no visible development of road, schools etc. Instead, only pollution has occurred. Further, he strongly demands to know about the waste disposal of the mine. It should be done in such a way that the river water is not polluted because the village depends on it for drinking water and fishing. He says, “Give in writing that you will provide job. Putting so much police force was not needed here as we are not terrorists.”

The total gold mine lease area will be 75.273 hectares. The production mine will have a capacity of 60,006.18 tonnes per annum and the beneficiation plant will have a capacity of 200 tonnes per annum. The mine will be leased for 50 years. The cost of the project will be Rs 13.63 crore. Mining will be done by opencast mechanized method. 12.80 million cubic meters of waste will be generated. The water requirement for drinking, beneficiation plant and other allied activities within the lease area is estimated at 461 cubic meter per day. According to the government officials, the project will provide direct employment to 109 people; but examples from different mining areas have shown failure to provide meaningful and sustained livelihood to people.

The residents of Tamar have been demanding scrapping of the Parasi gold project because the community has not been consulted. Apart from Parasi, other Panchayat such as Amlesha, Ulidih, Tamar, Kudula, Kurkutta among others will also come under the mining area gradually. They have been protesting the pollution that will be caused by the project.

2. Father Stan Swamy's 3rd Death Anniversary and the Discussion on Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita on 5 July

Fr Felix (Johar-HRD, Dumka) offering floral tribute to Fr Stan Swamy

Father Stan Swamy's death and the violation of human rights were discussed on 5 July that involved several participants from academic, social work, politics and concerned citizens. After offering floral tribute to Fr Stan, his contributions to defending human rights were recounted to discuss current issue of land grab and adivasi displacement, while drawing inspiration and strength to carry on the works he has left us to.

Cultural Activitst, Pranab Mukherjee performance at Pathalgadi raising questions against the loot of land, dreams and hopes of people

Cultural activist, Pranab Mukherjee performed a solo-play to invoke the consciousness among the participants and raise questions of rightful ownership. Pranab executed powerful performance at the Pathalgadi that lists several adivasi heroes, which Fr Stan had installed (that Fr Sebastian recounts is where Fr Stan performed his daily morning meditation and drew inspiration from). Pranab's powerful performance also raises questions of not merely loot of land, rather loot of the dreams, hopes and memories of the people.

Further, there was presentation on the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) that came into effect on 1 July, 2024, replacing the older Indian Penal Code (IPC) by Advocate Shiv Prasad to highlight how this new law is more draconian as it gives excessive power to the police by authorizing them to exercise discretionary power. Moreover, the protests and resistance of the citizens is easier to be tagged as “anti-national” or against the “public order” to suppress people's voices.

3. ECL-mining affected communities of Boarijore, Godda want their land back

About 120 hectares of multi-cropping agricultural land has been forcefully acquired by the ECL in Taljhari- Boarijore, Godda.

While there is a designated time for blasting, the villagers report that there is untimely blasting that causes a lot of stress and fear to the people and damage to their houses from the quakes of blasting.

“We don't want compensation for the land wrongfully snatched from us, we want our land back” says the villages of the Taljhari mauja in the Boarijore block of Godda. This is a Fifth Scheduled Area where the informed and free consent of the gram sabha is necessary for any mining or other developmental projects. Further, Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act prevails here that restricts the transfer of Adivasi land to non-Adivasi for non-agricultural purpose. Eastern Coal Limited has extended its Rajmahal Project last year in January, 2023 to forcefully dig agricultural lands , while the communities have been protesting against the acquisition as their life and livelihood depends on it. Now, the authorities want the people to take compensation. Yet, the spirits of the Santal adivasi here is undying and are opposed to taking the compensation as it will be perceived as “consent” to the project. Rather, they want that no further land should be acquired for mining, and the land should be returned to them after filling and in an agricultural condition after the lease is over.

An e-rickshaw provided by the ECL as part of its CSR project

During a field visit, an e-rickshaw was spotted in the village that was provided to a villager by the ECL under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) project. However, majority of the villagers claim that this is a sole example of livelihood creation as most villagers as lost their agricultural occupation on multi-cropping farms without receiving any jobs. Few are forced to collect coals from the mines deep inside and carry on their bicycles that are often caught by the police and harassed for their “illegal stealing” of coal. Yet, the villagers claim, “Our land and farming has been snatched without any jobs, should we not even take coal for our daily food and living?”

Further, the villagers who have raised their voices against the forceful land acquisition have been imposed with several false criminal cases to deter the unity of the villagers.

To rekindle the spirits and keep them aware and educated of the rights bestowed, the villagers were exposed to educational song on PESA (in Sadri). This was well-received by them, yet it was also said that such material should be made in Santali so that it could reach wider audience.

4. Workshop on SVAMITVA Yojna, Land Record Digitalisation and Community Rights of the Adivasi – 13 July

SVAMITVA - Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas. While it sounds empowering, it is disempowering. Through the SVAMITVA, land can only be transferred easily if it is individually owned. Therefore, attempt to break the community ownership of land.

Critical examination of the Digital Land Record Management Scheme and its effect on the people

The central government making digital records, without citizens' knowledge, since 2020, under the Digital India Land Record Management Scheme. Under the scheme, apart from the digital record on the website; there is a plan to measure land of all kinds apart from agriculture, even house plots. The measure has also been done by drones during Covid era that was highly opposed to under the leadership of Dayamani Barla. In Khunti, the drone survey was first done in *2021-22 without full and transparent knowledge/information to the residents there. They were told that the survey was just merely record of the land without revealing the intent of “digital record”. While this land digitalisation scheme is implemented all over India, the scheme has a special relevance for Jharkhand where there are traditional land systems. In Jharkhand, it was first implemented in Khunti. Khunti is planned to be “developed” quickly. It is on the 3rd number in the list of areas to be “developed” by Central government.

Jyoti Kujur speaks about the illegal transfer of the adivasi land in Khunti to the transfer ministers.

Several participants from Gumla, Ghatshila, Godda, Hazaribagh and Ranchi shared their experiences and concerns over the rampant land grab for the land bank creation that is leaving the actual moolwasis of the Jharkhand behind by transferring not merely land, but also excluding them from the benefits.

More on SVAMITVA Yojna and Digitalisation can be read here (English) or here (Hindi).

5. Paper presentation on Gender Justice among displacement-affected communities in Santhal Pargana at the Young Scholars Conference, Center of Women Studies, Ranchi University, 23 July

Hand-painted Santhal houses display the cultural knowledge and skills of the women

As a part of dissemination of knowledge and solidarity creating, a paper was presented to rethink development based on the primary study of the mining affected regions of Sathal Pargana and its impact on women's agency and gender justice. It was found that with reducing community spaces such as forests, grasslands and even farmlands; the Santhal women were becoming more restricted either to their private homes with reduced agency that they previously enjoyed; or involved in precarious daily wage labor work with informal working and poor payment conditions. The demolition of their traditional houses that they decorated with beautiful hand paintings is also leading to loss of cultural knowledge and skill that are passed intergenerationally.

Santal women collect vegetables and herbs from “their” biodiverse forest as opposed to the monocrop plantation of the teak.

Further, as part of compensatory afforestation, the Forest Department plants commercial trees of teak that the women do not “relate” to because such trees do not serve the purpose of food. Santhal women emerged as excellent guardians of the forest as they say that “their” forest as opposed to the forest created by officials is more diverse, sustainable and beneficial to the community. It is reported by scholars and conservationists alike that monocropping plantations of a selected species cannot be called a forest . Thus, when we need to rethink development to include and consult the affected communities, especially women to design policies.

6. Violation of public hearing and environmental norms highlighted at the 3-days workshop among the mining-affected communities of Tamnar, Raigarh, Chhattisgarh (26-28 July)

A workshop was organized in Tamnar, Raigarh with the collaboration of Growthwatch, Janchetna and Insaf; on creating awareness, sharing knowledge and mobilizing the mining affected communities was a success to form new knowledge and links and spirit to conserve the environment, culture and democratic rights against the corporate violations, greed and over exploitation of minerals and people.

14 villages are proposed to be displaced.

Dr Mithilesh Dangi explaining the presence and loot of minerals in Chhattisgarh.

We exchanged a lot of information on the violation of NGT guidelines on having mines at least 500m away from the settlement, yet the mines are operating at close proximity. The free education and health facilities to the mining-affected district (DMFT) and CSR are non-operational as fees are charged for both education and health service.

Whatever limited agricultural land and community resources such as forests and grasslands are left has also lost their fertility because of the light and air pollution. Forest products such as mahua, mushrooms (khukhdi and puttu), karril are also found in less quantity and of poor quality. Lalita, a farmer reports, "Earlier, we used to collect mahua worth Rs 30,000. But now, even though the market price of mahua has increased, we hardly collect mahua worth Rs 5000. Pollution is affecting the flowering of crops." This has disastrously affected nutrition and food availability among the communities.

Another villager, Rameshwar reports before the mining he would reach the forest within 30minutes and collect minor products. Now with a huge open cast mine, he makes a laborious 2-3 hour journey to the forest. That too, with the security guards and mining officials harassing him for crossing the area.

Nitya, a member of Janchetna explains the biodiversity of mushrooms in Raigarh forests

Janchetna had done a study on the biodiversity of the forest. Its members Mamta, Bhojdevi and Nitya had studied the forest to find 30 different kinds of mushrooms that will be affected from mining!

Intensive light pollution and air pollution from the thermal power plants

Intensive light pollution and air pollution from the thermal power plantsRaigarh, Chhattisgarh has several coal mines and thermal powerplants of Jindal. It is held as a big city, yet, the pollution of air, water and soil and diseased, dying persons reveal a different story. Communities share woes about the polluted water bodies from the thermal power plants and presence of fluoride in the wells after mining started. In the Muda village of Tamnar, community reports of black teeth, reproductive failures, weak bones, early and increased mortality due to water pollution. Further, the limited farming land that they have has also reduced productivity due to the intense light pollution from the thermal plants that disturbs the natural biological cycle of crops and other animals and birds. Dr Mithilesh Dangi further expands on these disastrous effects of light pollution and the need to understand this “less-talked about pollution.”

Another major issue is the fake and wrongful arrangement of the public hearings for the projects. Firstly, public hearings are not organized in the mining/project affected village that reduces the participation of the people. Secondly, there is huge supply of alcohol/drugs among the people to lure them for the project. Thirdly, daily wage laborers are “hired” from different villages to attend and consent to the projects.

The discussion and sharing of information yielded good results as the communities designed several mini-projects to sustain their resistance against corporate mining and violation of environmental and human rights. Firstly, their was identification and promotion of digital creators who can spread the ground-realities of the village through videos and photos on social media. Secondly, new target groups such as children were identified to spread consciousness among them about pollution and rights through pamphlets and programs. Thirdly, the political representatives and ministers have to be held accountable by writing and meeting with them. Fourthly, regional solidarity among the mining affected regions of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand has to be strengthened.

News

1. Center releases draft guidelines for 'responsible and sustainable' mining. 2 July, Business Standard.

2. 108 hectares of grazing land given to Adani to be taken back: Gujarat govt tells SC. 6 July, Telegraph.

3. Resolution introduced in US House urging India for independent probe into Father Stan Swamy's death. 9 July, Deccan Herald.

4. Center asks Jharkhand to auction 10 mineral blocks, warns it will go ahead if state fails to do so. 14 July, Economic Times.

5. Chhattisgarh villages object to public hearing on mines. 16 July, Hindustan Times.

6. Madhya Pradesh diverts SC/ST funds for cow welfare and religious sites: Report. 23 July, The Scroll.

7. From dust to dust: Adani's Talabira coal mine. 24 July, Adani Watch.

8. NTPC Fined Rs 409 crore for Illegal Mining in Jharkhand. 25 July, IndiaCSR.

9. Supreme Court Upholds States' Rights on Mineral Tax Royalty. 25 July, NDTV.

10. Villagers ask, “If the Public Hearing is for the gram Basen, then it should be in Basen, why is it happening in Parsa?” 26 July, Daily Chhattisgarh.

11. Jharkhand government clears 99-hectare forest land for Jamshedpur Airport in Dhalbhumgarh, 26 July, The Avenue Mail.