November, 2024 Newsletter: Alliance and Solidarity with organization

 

 Newsletter 
November, 2024
Justice in Mining Network


1. Awareness meeting in Tamar, Ranchi 

An awareness meeting was held with the gold deposit villagers of Amlesha, Bondulkundi and Sindauri of the Tamar block of Ranchi on 11 November, 2024. Seventy-hectares of Tamar will be directly affected by open-cast mining for gold. Villagers expressed strong opposition to the mining project. Further, importance of the Fifth Schedule, Provisions of Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas), PESA, strengthening gram sabha and Chota Nagpur Tenancy Act (CNTA) was discussed and informed to the villagers. 


2. Strengthening gram sabha in Kundapahari village of Gopikandar, Dumka, Jharkhand.
 
Three villages of Gopikandar have been marked for mining for the Pachwara South Opencast Mining Project by Nayeli Uttar Pradesh Limited (NUPPL). These three villages are Chirudih, Mahaldabar and Kundpahari. According to government documents, NUPPL has proposed non-forest use of 455.11 hectares of forest land i.e. coal mining. The NUPPL project proposes to acquire 715 hectares of land. A total of 455 hectares of forest land and 260 hectares of non-forest land of Gopikandar will be acquired for mining. In other words, 64 percent of the proposed area is forest land and the remaining 36 percent is non-forest land, which includes people's houses, common land and raiyati land. 

Villagers of Kundapahari held a meeting on 14 November to make a demand list to the district and other concerned authorities such as Eastern Coal Limited (ECL), Ministry of Mines, Scheduled Tribes Commission, Governor and Chief Minister. The demands are: 
1. We will be displaced only after getting the forest lease.
2. We want assured and dignified livelihood in the form of compensation and resettlement.
3. Our life, livelihood and entire way of living should be fully restored.
4. Restore us according to our wishes
5. We demand higher compensation 
6. Discrimination and violation of human rights of adivasi be abolished.
7. The village people are the owners of the land, so they are the owners of the minerals too.
8. The village people are the owners of the land, so they are the owners of the minerals too.
9. The resettlement situation of Gopikandar villagers should be better than the neighboring mining block of Pachwara, Pakur.
10. The land should be returned to the villages in a suitable condition.


 3. Alliance and Solidarity with organization 

On the occasion of Birsa Jayanti and remembrance of the freedom struggle, members of the Lahanti organization were met to evaluate political-economic situation and strategize people's movement and promote rights based awareness. It was found that the village representatives, Sarpanch, are tempted by rewards or incentives from the government to suppress any dissent or grievance from the common villagers. Further, the contractors involved in digitization and linking of the job cards and bank accounts are scamming in the MGNREGA program. The contractors deposit some amount to the beneficiary on the condition of extracting some commission amount, but no actual rural developmental work is allotted or completed. Further, it was reported that despite community efforts, the distribution of the individual and community forest rights under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 (FRA) remains dismally low. Moreover, the officials are soliciting bribes as high as Rs 10,000 for granting Individual Forest Rights. 

4. Consultation over Transition Minerals in South Asia with Publish What You Pay, Indonesia 

An online consultation over human, indigenous and environmental rights violations in the transition minerals sector was held on 22 November with Publish What You Pay through Asia Pacific- Transition Minerals Alliance Working Group (AP-TMA WG). The AP-TMA WG is dedicated to safeguarding the rights of local and Indigenous communities affected by the extractive sector, navigating complex energy transition governance issues, and ensuring transparency and accountability across the green energy and technology supply chain. India has created Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL), a joint venture with major public sector enterprises, to secure a stable supply of critical minerals through international exploration, development, and mining, aiming to strengthen India's mineral value chain and ensure self-sufficiency in key resources essential for the country's energy. . , , , transition. 

5. 2 days training and planning program for creating climate resilient communities against mining in Rourkela, Odisha : 23-24 November, 2024

Odisha is the largest mineral producing state in India. In the financial year 2023-24, Odisha produced a total of ₹63,588 crore which is 44.9% of the country's production. The state has high-grade iron, bauxite, chromite, coal along with manganese, limestone, dolomite, and lead. Apart from this, deposits of other minerals like "critical minerals" such as tin, nickel, vanadium, graphite, gold, gems, diamonds, and ornamental stones etc., which are considered necessary for the development of the country, are also available here. . , , , , But, Odisha's Human Development Index (HDI) which evaluates the education, health and social well-being of individuals; Odisha ranks 33rd among 36 states and union territories. The wealth generated from mining is not being distributed properly among all categories of people of the communities, due to which the development of the local people is not happening. Mineral-rich districts like Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Koraput are fifth scheduled areas where tribals have their traditional rights to governance assured. But, big companies like Vedanta, Nalco, Tata and Adani want to mine here which is threatening the local communities. Communities are struggling to save their nature and nature-dependent lives.


Journalist Hasan speaks of the threat to freedom of speech and media fairness in documenting land conflict and human rights violation issues.

In the two days meeting held on 23-24 November; grave problems of fake gram sabha were reported by the villagers of Koraput and Kalahandi. The villagers of this Fifth Scheduled Areas are struggling though their gram sabha to keep the mining corporations at bay. Several villagers and activists of Sundargarh such as Baggi Lakra, Kedar Mondari reported threat and abuse through fake cases and jail to dissuade the peoples movement. Dangers of land banks and methods of holding the government accountable were discussed. Resolution was made to document and create pressure groups through gram sabha ij the different zones-North, Central and South of Odisha. 

6. Participation and Training Sessions for Capacity Building of Civil Societies and Community for Sustainable use of Natural Resources by CSER

Information and knowledge sharing with the participants of the 3 days workshop by CSER at Bagaicha Social Centre, Ranchi. Affected villagers and activists from Hazaribagh, Chatra, Dumka, Pakur and Potka were consolidated together in the alliance. 



News Articles



7. अपनी ही ज़मीन से बेदख़ल होते झारखंड के आदिवासी. Jacinta Kerketta. 19 November, 2024. People's Archive of Rural India (PARI). 





Video Clips 
1. Bandhi: 2024, a Documentary by Film-maker Deepak Kisku: In 2016, Jharkhand bandh in protest against the CNT-SPT Act amendment and the continuous firing and lathicharge by the police in the state had a wide impact.
2. Opposition to Coal Mines. 14 November, 2024. Munadi Chaupal. 

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