JOIN USThe line between legal and illegal mining is thin
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth - the Biblical saying has run into rough weather in the present times with the ‘bad and brash’ with muscle and money power acquiring lands - mineral rich, fertile agricultural land or urban land with high commercial value - with the blessings of the political masters.
The “gentle” common man is looking askance at the ballooning wealth of the land and mine mafia. They are the parallel government unto themselves and real power behind the power. For many frustrated Indians, including Gandhian Anna Hazare, it is a day-light robbery worse than what happened under the British rule or its previous ‘Avtar’, the East India Company.
Power and pelf
The famed Reddys of Bellary are sitting on mountains of wealth gained allegedly through their illegal mining breaking all records. Their journey from a two-wheeler to owning private helicopters, aircraft, luxury villas, luxury cars and even a diamond-studded “throne”, while wielding extraordinary influence on the state government, is now part of folklore.
Bellary, the home-ground of the Reddys, has attracted luxury carmaker Mercedes Benz, the company reportedly selling at least 25 vehicles to mining tycoons between 2008 and 2009.
The lure of mining tycoons has led rival company BMW to plan a satellite dealership in the nearby town of Hospet, while Honda Siel Cars India Ltd is to set up a showroom in Bellary. The city with barely 4-5 lakh population is also home to private aircraft, thanks to the riches of four brothers.
What has this illegal activity delivered to the poor in the country who have not even basked in the reflected glory of the so called development activity undertaken by the mining barons in various regions of the country?
Pranav Sachdeva, Supreme Court advocate, who is also behind the Public Interest Litigation seeking a ban on mining in Karnataka favours a “complete ban” on excavation of mines till “rehabilitation of the area is completed” and health and ecology of the area is restored. Sachdeva calls for regulating mining on a “scientific basis” and maintains that rapacious mining would put a quick end to the precious earth resources.
“Illegal mining does damage to the environment. Suspend mining for certain years till rehabilitation takes place and the ecology of the area ravaged by mindless mining is restored,” he says and points to “the systemic collapse” forced by the mining mafia.
Rapacious mining must end
The Supreme Court lawyer says there “is a thin line” between legal and illegal mining. Even in the so called legal mining, royalty is avoided and unlicensed area is exploited with political patronage. He says there should be no export of ores.
“Mines cannot be privatised without gain to common man,” Sachdeva concludes and questions the policy of development undertaken by successive governments.
Our natural resources have decreased in a rapid manner because of outrageous activities, especially mining. Scientists have already declared that these natural resources will completely vanish in a few decades. The resources are rapidly depleting, hugely benefiting a few people with politico-police-criminal backing.
This is clearly a hunger and glut situation which must be bridged before it is too late. A sustained galvanisation of people around Gandhian Anna Hazare’s movement has amply demonstrated it recently.
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