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Chhattisgarh: Why we must save the Hasdeo Aranya Forest

sabrang — Sat, 06 Jan 2024 11:25:54 +0000

Located in Chhattisgarh, the Hasdeo Aranya forests are rich in biodiversity. Here is also a habitat that is home for thousands of indigenous Adivasi communities. Yet, unchecked and ongoing, coal mining projects in the areas have resulted in the felling of large numbers of trees and the enforced displacement of the indigenous population.

On the one hand. while the local Adivasi community-led protests are being suppressed by the state government, the establishment –regardless of which party is in power, Indian National Congress (INC) or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) –is adamant on continuing the coal mining project.

Adivasi activists have alleged that the newly elected BJP government in the state has handed over thousands of hectares of forest lands to big corporate players. It is feared that these state-imposed policies may lead to further displacement of the indigenous community in the state.

While axes fell the trees in Surguja districts in Chhattisgarh, it is police batons that are raining violence on the protesting Adivasis. News of large numbers of recent arrests of Adivasi activists by the police has also been documented.

Given the huge protests, the state government has also arranged for a large deployment of security forces in the areas. Instead of initiating a dialogue and addressing the growing discontent of the people, the BJP government has approached the issue by intensifying armed security.

According to the indigenous activists, both the police and the local administration are threatening the local Adivasi community against raising their voices against the ongoing deforestation projects. They have alleged that the local administration has been instructed by the state government to deal firmly with the protestors. –

The state government’s repressive policy is a tool to generate fear among the protestors, who are waging a life and death battle les against the greed-propelled and ecologically unfriendly models of development.

But Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has, so far, appeared to be in denial mode by saying that so far no arrest had been made. He is unwilling to engage with the allegations that his government has failed to involve the indigenous community in the developmental process. Even the Constitutionally-mandated laws giving special protection to the Adivasi community and the resources in their areas have been bypassed to facilitate the plunder of the natural resources.

For example, a news story by the news agency PTI revealed that the state government has handed over a thousand hectares of forest lands for mining in the Surguja district to corporate players, triggering wide-scale protests. The Hasdeo Arand Bachao Sangharsh Smiti, which is led by the Adivasi community, has been raising voices against the handing over of the forest lands to corporate players.

The voices of protests against the deforestation of the Hasdeo forest are also being echoed in different places in the country.

A public meeting was held in New Delhi’s Press Club of India on January 2 during which a large number of activists, civil society members and intellectuals, united under the banner of Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan (CBA), expressed their deep concern about “corporate takeover” of the natural resources.

Prominent among those who attended this press conference were Alok Shukla (Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan), Thawar Chand Meena (MLA from Dhariawad, Rajasthan), Umeshwar Singh Armo (Hasdeo Aranya Bachao Sangharsh Samiti), Prashant Bhushan (Supreme court advocate), Prafulla Samantray (activist), Sudiep Shrivastava (Chhattisgarh High Court advocate) Paranjoy Guha Thakurta ( author and journalist) and Professor Nandini Sundar (University of Delhi).

At the Press Club of India, the activists and the civil society members rightly linked the fight to save Hasdeo Aranya forest to other struggles to save nature and the life of the Adivasi community across the country. According to them, the corporate loot of minerals including coal and bauxite is happening at various places in India, particularly in the Adivasi regions.

History is witness to the fact that since the colonial era, the vicious cycle of the exploitation of natural resources from the Adivasi areas and the displacement of the indigenous population has not stopped.

The rise of the modern state and the profit-based economic model are some of the major factors for the destruction of the environment and the attacks on the indigenous community. With the introduction of the institution of private property during colonial time, the landlords, moneylenders and colonial administrators penetrated the Adivasi region to inflict ruins on them.

Such exploitative colonial policies supported by the native landlords and money lenders were vigorously opposed by a series of revolts by the Adivasi community. One of them was led by Birsa Munda in the last phase of the nineteenth century. Birsa’s struggles were aimed at achieving self-rule for the Adivasi community and autonomy in their regions.

After Independence, the promises made to the Adivasi community were largely forgotten. It was the Adivasi region which was chosen for the construction of the large-scale dams and the mining projects. This led to the destruction of the environment, loss of biodiversity and the displacement of the Adivasi community on a large scale.

While the migration of non-Adivasi outsiders to the Adivasi areas has been substantial, leading to ae change in the demography, the ongoing policies of deforestation, mining and industrialization have also rendered Adivasis homeless, forcing them to migrate to urban areas where they have no social security. Nor are they often recognized as the Scheduled Tribes (ST) by the state.

Undoubtedly, the Adivasi community has been the worst sufferers of the developmental projects. The Constitution’s provisions for the protection of the Adivasi community continued to be violated to facilitate the corporate plunder of the resources. Worse still, the consent of the Adivasi community for the developmental project is either bypassed or obtained through coercive methods. Sadly, regions in central India, dominated by the indigenous Adivasi population are also among the most heavily militarised by the state. Yet, on the human development index, the same regions fall behind, are the most backward regions.

What is happening with the Hasdeo Aranya forests is the cruel continuation of the process of colonisation in the Adivasi areas. But sooner or later such anti-Adivasi policy must stop to ensure the will of the people, and the future of Indian democracy.

(Dr Abhay Kumar is a Delhi-based journalist. He has taught political sciences at NCWEB Centres of Delhi University.)

Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed in this article is solely that of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views or position of Sabrang India and this site.

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Union Govt: 1,043 families displaced in Jharkhand as more than 13,000 hectares of land acquired for coal mining

sabrang — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 10:30:11 +0000

The issue of land acquisition for coal mining activities and adequate compensation has been a concern for a long time. Recent data provided by the Union government provides that a total of 13,709.44 hectares of land had been acquired by Coal India Limited in multiple districts of Jharkhand. For the land acquired, a total of 1,043 families were displaced.

On December 13, during the ongoing winter parliamentary session, Chandra Prakash Choudhary raised several questions regarding the rehabilitation of displaced families due to the land acquired for coal mining activities. Through his question, Choudhary inquired about the total land acquired, the number of families displaced, and the compensation and employment provided to those families. Choudhary is a member of the Lok Sabha from Giridih constituency. These questions were presented to Pralhad Joshi, who currently serves as the union minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coals and Mines of India.

In its response, the union minister apprised the Lok Sabha by providing that the total land acquired by Coal India Limited in Kathara, Dhori and Bokaro & Kargali amounts to 13,709.44 hectares. The break up is as follows:

Kathara – 3765.7 Hectare
Dhori – 2966.71 Hectare
B&K – 6977.03 Hectare

The response also provides the number of families displaced by the coal mines in the aforementioned areas totalled to 1,043 families, the breakup for which is as follows:

Kathara – 83 Project Affected Families
Dhori – 110 Project Affected Families
B&K – 850 Project Affected Families

On the issue of employment and compensation, the minister responded by providing that the people who have lost their land are being provided direct employment at the rate of one employment for every two acres of land.

From the above table we can see that, the highest amount of compensation has been given to the people of Bokaro & Kargali whereas the lowest amount of compensation has been given to Dhori. Additionally, the highest number of people who have acquired employment belong to Bokaro & Kargali totalling to 709 whereas the lowest number of people who have acquired employment belong to Kathara totalling to 147.

The minister claimed that there were no cases pending where the necessary documentation is incomplete.

From the table provided above, it can be observed that a total of 12 cases are yet to be given employment in the Bokaro & Kargali area. This is followed by 4 cases of pending employment in the Dhori area. It is claimed that the Kathara area has no pending cases of providing employment. A total of 16 cases of providing employment are pending.

The rehabilitation process for displaced families on GM (Gair-Mazrua) land in Jharkhand has encountered multifaceted challenges. The absence of valid documentation for tenant land claims has led to demands for both house and land compensation, exacerbated by inadequate records and delayed land authentication by the government department. Building a consensus among villagers for the finalization of a rehabilitation site is hindered by disputes over employment claims surpassing established norms, creating internal familial conflicts. Complicating matters further is the resistance from the host community to accommodate displaced individuals at the designated R&R sites, compounded by the reluctance of villagers to relocate near this community. Moreover, the scarcity of suitable land for resettlement sites exacerbates the intricate web of challenges faced in facilitating the relocation and rehabilitation of these affected families.

To expedite the resolution of pending and under process cases, CCL (Central Coalfields Limited) has implemented several key measures. They are actively collaborating with applicants, state government authorities, and village representatives to secure any missing documentation related to employment proposals, ensuring a comprehensive record. Additionally, CCL officials are providing essential support to land losers, facilitating their access to the R&R (rehabilitation and resettlement) benefits. At the operational level, multiple monitoring groups have been established within projects and areas to oversee the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the rehabilitation action plan. These groups engage closely with state authorities throughout the plan’s execution. CCL maintains ongoing communication with affected villagers, engaging in negotiations aimed at achieving mutually agreeable solutions, thereby demonstrating a commitment to resolving these pending cases.

The complete answer can be read here:

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Thousands of Mining-Affected Families in Jharkhand’s Jharia Await Resettlement

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 05:02:01 +0000

Areas in Jharia coalfields have been rendered vulnerable by underground fires and subsidence. Image: Ayaskant Das.

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government is yet to decide the fate of thousands of mining-affected families of Jharkhand’s Jharia coalfields more than a year after a masterplan conceived to resettle them came to a close in August 2021.

A committee constituted under the coal ministry last year to review and assess the progress made under the first masterplan period and recommend alternative measures for the resettlement of families in areas rendered vulnerable by underground fires and subsidence is yet to finalise its report.

Consequently, the Jharia Resettlement Development Authority (JRDA), the nodal agency constituted to execute the masterplan, has no new plan for the welfare of the families.

There have been several incidents of subsidence in Dhanbad’s Rajput Basti area in the past.

“There could be massive subsidence any moment that would result in a lot of casualties. There have been several incidents of subsidence in the past. A portion of our ancestral house was partially damaged in one such incident,” Badal Singh, a resident of Rajput Basti, under the Kendua Dih Police Station, Dhanbad, told the Newsclick.

“Due to the lack of a resettlement plan, we continue living in the dilapidated structure in a very vulnerable terrain,” Singh added.

Three years ago, the entire Rajput Basti area had been declared unsafe by Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), which is engaged in operating coking coal mines in Jharia and Raniganj. The BCCL had also issued notices to around 2,000 families living in Rajput Basti to vacate the area but little has changed since then.

Notably, Rajput Basti is just one among hundreds of settlements in areas rendered hollow and vulnerable following years of underground fires in the Jharia coalfields. The JRDA—constituted under the masterplan in 2004—has identified more than 53,000 families that need to be resettled.

This figure includes 29,444 families that are legal titleholders of plots on which they built their houses. The remaining 23,847 families allegedly do not have legal rights over the plots. They are considered encroachers by government agencies and referred as “non-legal title holders”.

Approximately 2,700 families have been resettled to date in three phases to a housing colony developed by the JRDA in Belgaria, in the Sadar subdivision of Dhanbad district, which is not a coal-bearing area. The JRDA has utilised around Rs 1,069 crore for the construction of the colony and for resettlement and rehabilitation.

Officials said that a process is also under way to shift additional families to housing units that have already been completed in Belgaria.

According to the administration, a huge hurdle in the resettlement process is convincing the mining-affected families into moving out because not only are they reluctant to abandon their old habitations but are also allegedly misled by local politicians who consider them as their vote bank. There are certain socioeconomic problems as well, a fact which the administrators had failed to foresee while formulating the masterplan.

A mining-affected Kshatriya family in Rajput Basti told Newsclick that it is not keen to relocate to Belgaria because housing units in the immediate neighbourhood are also being allotted to Dalit families.

“Dalit families live in a separate settlement away from ours. There is a clear social hierarchy wherein we live in larger and much more spacious houses compared to them. How can we ever imagine cohabitating with Dalit families as equals?” a member of the Kshatriya family requesting anonymity said.

The 12-year Jharia Master Plan, approved in August 2009, was completed in August 2021. A comprehensive proposal prepared jointly by various agencies, including the BCCL, the JRDA and another CIL subsidiary Central Mine Planning and Design Institute, was sent to the coal ministry for approval.

However, a Central committee was constituted under coal ministry secretary Anil Kumar Jain with the mandate to “review and make a comprehensive assessment of the fire and unstable area in Jharia Coalfields and formulate strategies for fire and safety management plans, formulate alternative proposal for rehabilitation and to suggest suitable mechanism for better implementation and monitoring”. The committee is yet to finalise its report.

Last October, coal minister Pralhad Joshi chaired a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the ministry to decide the future course of action regarding rehabilitation but nothing came out of it.

Newsclick emailed a questionnaire to the ministry asking to provide a tentative date, if any, on which a decision on the proposed extension of the masterplan or an alternative plan for resettlement and rehabilitation is likely to be finalised. Copies of this questionnaire were also emailed to Joshi and Jain. No response was received at the time of filing this report.

A senior JRDA official told Newsclick that “consultations are under way to decide if the term of the masterplan required further extension or if any alternative measure needs to be taken for resettlement and rehabilitation. The schemes and programmes that had already been finalised are being executed with funds that are with the JRDA”.

“But no new plan has been finalised for the affected families in the past one year. These proposals include, for example, the construction of new housing units, and the laying of water and sewer pipelines or electricity supply networks. These can be finalised only after the proposal pending with higher authorities is finally cleared,” the official added.

During Joshi’s meeting with stakeholders in October 2021, BCCL informed that it had undertaken the construction of 15,852 houses. At that point in time, nearly 3,852 families were to be shifted to the new houses. The Central government undertaking had also proposed to the JRDA to utilise 8,000 of its housing units for families whose members were not employed by BCCL.

As per experts, the only to deal with the threat posed by underground fires and subsidence is to move out the entire population from there. Former CIL chairman Partha Sarathi Bhattacharya, during whose tenure the masterplan was approved in 2009, told Newsclick that nearly 1.5 billion tonnes of metallurgical coal are directly under fire in Jharia, which, if extracted properly, can have a huge positive economic implication for the country.

“The only way forward is to douse the underground fires and recover the coal. These areas can be backfilled and reclaimed thereafter. This exercise is possible only if the population in the vulnerable areas is relocated. But there needs to be a great deal of effort and coordination among various government agencies as well as civil society to convince the local population to move out,” Bhattacharya said.

“An exercise of this nature can be successful as has been proved by several projects undertaken by BCCL in the past. The masterplan was well conceived but its implementation was always a challenge. Nearly 400,000 people were relocated to an altogether new settlement, an exercise that has no parallels in history,” Bhattacharya added.

Despite the impending disaster in Jharia coalfields, the Central government has been aggressively permitting the opening up of new coal blocks by diverting forest land.

As per a recent report by the San Francisco-based non-governmental organisation Global Energy Monitor, nearly 36% of capacity at operating coal mines in India is unutilised. The government’s plan to develop 99 new coal projects with a projected production capacity of 427 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) is actually less than the underutilised capacity of 433 MTPA in existing mines, the report states.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Kolkata: Civil Society, Tribals Protest, Demand Cancellation of Coal Mines in Deucha-Panchami

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 03:59:42 +0000

Representational Image. Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Nagarik Samanway Manch, a citizens’ organization, staged a protest on Wednesday demanding immediate cancellation of the coal mining project proposed by the West Bengal government in Deucha-Panchami. With this demand, Civil society members marched from Sealdah to Kolkata Municipality.

Hundreds of tribals from Deucha Panchami also participated in this protest. At the rally, they raised slogans saying — “Stop Deucha Pachami coal mine, remove corporates from our forest-land.”

Members of the civil society alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed in several public rallies about respecting all communities, including tribals. However, during Banerjee’s tenure, the people of tribal communities have been neglected and deprived of their rights.

On Wednesday, Nagarik Manch marched with this complaint against the government. They protested by playing a Dhamsa Madal in front of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

Their main allegation is that the government is illegally occupying land and forests in the name of coal mining, and the possession of all these lands is going into the hands of industrialists like Adanis. They said the common people do not want this possession and the government should do what the citizens want.

After the march ended, the agitators held a rally. The leader of West Bengal Adivasi Adhikar Manch, Debalena Hembram, tribal leader Lakshikant Hansda, member of Nagarika Sahandya Manch Anisur Rahman, lawyer Shamim Ahmed and others spoke at the rally. Ratan Hembram, Jaba Murmu, Kokila Murmu and others from Deucha Panchami also spoke.

The keynote address of the leaders at the rally was that even after 75 years of independence, many marginalized people, including the Scheduled Tribes, the oldest inhabitants of the country, are still living a subjugated life. They have to repeatedly fight for water, forest and land rights across the state and the country. Although the Constitution includes various rights laws for them, they are not getting the benefits of those laws.

Leaders complain that even though the government has started extracting coal from the mine, there has been no environmental impact assessment or public hearing for the project so far. Most of the tribals claimed to not have received compensation yet.

The Deucha-Panchami-Dewanganj-Harinsinga coal block is the second largest coal block in the world and the largest in India. Estimates show that around 20,000 people will be displaced due to the project.

Apart from opposing the coal mining project on Deutcha Panchami, the Nagrik Samanway Manch also protested against corruption in the appointment of teachers and the killing of student leader Anish Khan.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Bengal: Thousands of Tribals Protest Against Open-pit Coal Mining Project in Deucha Panchami

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 04:21:19 +0000

Thousands of tribal men and women protested in front of the Birbhum District Magistrate’s office in West Bengal’s Siuri on Monday demanding the cancellation of the coal mining project proposed by the state government in Deucha-Pachami.

At the protest, they raised the slogan, “We will not leave our forest and our land. We will not let it become a coal mine.”

The indigenous people of 36 local villages from Deucha-Pachami area have been protesting for the last eight months demanding the cancellation of the coal mine project. The protesters have been on a relay hunger strike in Baromesia’s Dangal since February 20. Finally, the tribals came to the city and demonstrated in front of the DM’s office. They also submitted a memorandum to Birbhum DM Bidhan Roy.

On Monday afternoon, there was heavy rain in Siuri and people outside were running in search of a shelter. However, thousands of tribal men, women and youth, who have walked for about 20 kilometres, stayed put and raised slogans in front of the DM’s office. The slogans from their protest demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and said, “Tribals no longer need Mamata’s government.”

The protest was led by local tribal leader Teresa Soren. Expressing anger against the state government, he said, “Today, the government is very careful of the tribals! We don’t need this. We are tribals, this land is ours, and this forest is also ours. We will not leave this land and forest under any circumstances.”

A protesting woman said, “No one in the hills wants coal mining. We are being threatened by the police for protesting. We will see to the end of this fight.”

The agitators have said that they will continue a mass hunger strike until the project is cancelled.

Another leader of the movement, Ganesh Kisku, who submitted the memorandum to the District Magistrate, said, “Our main demand is to immediately cancel this open-pit coal mining project.” He further said, “The Chief Minister announced from a Trinamool Congress event on July 21 that coal mining has started on Deucha Panchami. Around 75% people in this area don’t want mining. With whose permission did this mining work start?”

Birbhum District Magistrate Bidhan Roy said, “The demands of the tribals will be conveyed to the proper place. The mining work has started after talking to the locals.”

Meanwhile, the West Bengal Vigyan Manch has raised questions about the survey work on the proposed coal mining project on Deucha-Pachami land. The organisation said, “There was supposed to be an eight-stage survey. The third phase survey has just been completed. In this way, based on some preliminary surveys, administrative work has started, and various government announcements are being made. It is not only creating confusion, but it is a very anti-scientific movement. Government should immediately stop this extremely unscientific action.”

A statement by the West Bengal Science Forum states, “Geological survey said that the Brahmani-Birbhum region has many apparent faults. The use of explosives for excavation may activate the faults and make the area earthquake prone.”

The Deucha-Pachami-Dewanganj-Harinsinga coal block is the second largest coal block in the world and the largest in India. Estimates show that around 20,000 people will be displaced due to the project.

Courtesy: Newsclick

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Under the shadow of coal mining

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 05:09:51 +0000