Gram Sabhas united in protest against privatization of coal and auction of coal

Gram Sabhas united in protest against privatization of coal and auction of coal

Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan organized a mega summit in Bilaspur on 23rd December 2014 to discuss and protest 

against the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Ordinance / Bill 2014 and other Government’s attempts to

systematically dilute people-friendly policies and legislations in favor of vested corporate interests. The summit

brought together participants from various peoples’ movements, trade unions, workers’ organizations, etc.

engaged in Chhattisgarh. The summit drew a huge participation of over 1,000 people from various parts of

Chhattisgarh including Hasdeo Arand, Dharamjaigarh, Mand-Raigarh, Jashpur, Koriya, Surajpur, Surguja, Janjgir

Antagarh, etc. Representatives from coal bearing areas in other states e.g. SInghrauli, Andhra Pradesh, Anuppur,

etc. also came out in solidarity during the summit.

The summit was chaired by veteran CPI leader Comrade

C.R. Bakshi, Anand Mishra kisan leader of Aam Aadmi

Party and Comrade Shaura Yadav of CPI (ML). Comrade

Nand Kumar Kashyap of Chhattisgarh Kisan Sabha

coordinated the discussions. The esteemed list of

speakers included legal luminary Advocate Sudiep

Shrivastav, veteran trade union leader from MP

Comrade Hardwar Singh of AITUC, state General

Secretary of CPI (M) Madhya Pradesh Comrade Badal

Saroj, Prathmesh Mishra of Aam Aadmi Party and Ravi

Shekhar of Mahan Sangharsh Samiti. Chhattisgarh

Bachao Andolan was represented by Advocate Sudha

Bhardwaj, convenor Alok Shukla, Bijay Bhai, Sajal and

Rinchin from Mand-Raigarh region among other

The speakers as well as representatives of various peoples’

movements discussed how the Government in pursuit of its neo-

liberal agenda has embarked on a journey to hand over the

country’s valuable natural resources to a few corporates even

while destroying the environment & ecology and consistently

ignoring the due rights of the people. There was near unanimity

among the speakers that post the coming of Modi Government at

the Centre, the pace of promoting rapid industrialization and sale

of natural resources has significantly accelerated with complete

disregard to people’s interests. The Supreme Court order in the

Coal-gate case quashing the allotment of all 214 coal blocks

allocated since 1993, had given the Government a historic

opportunity to reflect on its policies and processes and devise visionary, long-term strategies and policy measures

to utilize valuable natural resources in the strategic interests of the nation and the people who own these

resources. However, with the recent The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Ordinance 2014, the Government has

audaciously moved to nullify the effect of the Supreme Court order thereby unambiguously clarifying its intent to

protect narrow corporate interests. The Ordinance not only opens up the coal sector for rapid exploitation by

allowing commercial mining and sale, but also attempts to make a mockery of due processes of environment

clearance, forest clearances, gram sabha consents etc. While on the one hand, it seeks to restrict the liabilities of

all new bidders on grounds of past irregularities, it also introduces numerous anti-people provisions like lower

compensation & rehabilitation package and hefty penalties on any opposition to mining projects. It is clear that the

Government is willing to sacrifice our valuable natural resources, fragile environment, lives and livelihoods of poor

adivasis and farmers at the altar of narrow profits. The recent coal ordinance and other Government moves

through dilution of labor laws, changes to Forest Rights Act, proposed changes to Land Acquisition Act and

Environment Protection laws, all systematically dilute all pro-people legislations, for corporate benefits.  It will

have a significant impact on Chhattisgarh which is a mineral rich state with a majority of adivasi and dalit with

marginal farmer population and a pristine natural environment.

During the summit, Umeshwar Singh Armo of Hasdeo Arand

Bachao Sangharsh Samiti declared that empowered with the

provisions of PESA Act as applicable to Schedule 5 Areas, 16

gram sabhas of Hasdeo Arand have recently passed

unanimous resolutions against coal mining in their region

requesting Central and State Governments not to put up

mines for auction. They plan to take this struggle forward and

do a national campaign to focus on the issues of

environment, biodiversity, gram sabha consents, and the life

and livelihood of adivasis and other forest dwellers.

All the speakers resolved to come together to protest against

the Government’s moves to dilute people friendly legislations

and mentioned that all the various movements’ should come

together for a national campaign to protect’s rights and

oppose corporate friendly & anti-people policies and

legislations. Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan also announced solidarity with the nation-wide call for strike in all coal

mines called by various trade & labour unions.

At the end of the summit, 6 key resolutions were unanimously passed:

 In accordance with the spirit of Supreme Court’s historic order, coal mine allocation should be done only

as per the real needs of of the country rather than for corporate profits. Valuable natural resources of the

country should pe exploited only in people’s interests. Thus, no amendment should be made to the Coal

Nationalization Act and interests of mine workers suitably protected.

 Central Government should immediately withdraw the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Ordinance and Bill

and should develop a visionary, people-friendly policy that protects the rights of the ordinary people and

lays special emphasis on environment conservation.

 Before the allocation or auction of any mining project, an informed written consent of the gram sabhas

shall be taken. All applicable environment related clearances should be obtained before the

auction/allocation of any mines.

 PESA Act 1996 and Forest Rights Act 2006, which were obtained after a long struggle by the adivasis,

should be honored and there should be no dilution in the rights obtained through these legislations.

 Bio-diversity rich dense forests, wildlife habitation areas and ecologically sensitive regions should be kept

away from any mining activity and thus no clearances for mining should be given in such areas.

 There should be no dilution of the current framework of the Land Acquisition Act 2013 which was passed

unanimously with the consent of all political parties. The practice of obtaining land from farmers in the

name of agriculture and then putting up industries on it, should be banned and the industrialists indulging

in this should be punished by cancellation of their registration & filing of criminal cases against them.