By Barnes Mawrie
The sad incident at Ksan (East Jaintia Hills) coal mine will remind everyone of the famous incident at Copiapo in Chile in 2010. It was on 5th August 2010 that 33 miners were trapped 2,300 ft below the mine. However on 13th October 2010, after being 69 days underground, they all came out alive, hale and hearty. This was possible because those mines were scientifically done and the miners were not in a rat hole but in big chambers able to move and breathe freely. That is not the case with the mine accident that took place in Ksan in our state. Our poor miners were trapped in a rat hole where there was absolutely no chance of escape. Rat hole mining is both dangerous and undignified. The very name itself is an insult to our human dignity. So for every reason whatsoever, this type of mining should be banned altogether.
In the wake of the fatal accident at Ksan of the 15 miners who are for all practical reasons, dead and buried under the mine, there is all the more reason to declare a moratorium on unscientific mining. Our sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of these ill-fated miners. They are innocent, poor labourers who are made victims of someone’s greed. The coal mines owners whoever they may be, should be made to pay heavy compensation for the innocent lives lost.
It is rather perplexing to observe how in spite of the NGT ban on coal mining in Meghalaya, coal is still being clandestinely extracted. This raises a lot of suspicion on the authorities concerned. Where corruption at the top level is rampant like in our state, no ban will work out. The imposition of fine on the government by the NGT seems almost like a joke. Is it going to be implemented or is it just a legal procedure? There are always secret agreements and arrangements between the government authorities and the coal mafia. I would like to bring out some ethical aspects about the latest incident:
1) The government of Meghalaya should be held responsible for its lack of political will in not pressing ahead with the Mining Bill. The implementation of mining laws would have ensured safety measures, scientific mining, safe working conditions, life insurance and of course just remuneration for the miners. However, with everything left in the hands of individual greedy mines owners, no such just measures are made available for the poor miners. They work at the mercy of these bosses who care a hoot for the precious lives of the hoi polloi. The fate of the 15 miners clearly proves this. This is highly unethical because these miners would have still survived had the above measures been taken. It is clear that there are many moral lapses on the part of the government. Questions are asked today like: why does the government not act in time to save the lives of those miners? Why does it take the Supreme Court to push the government into action? Why is necessary electric power not provided to work the big pumps for the rescue? Why does it take so long for the authorities to get the experts to work on the rescue? And finally of course, why is illegal rat hole mining still allowed in the state and what has the government done about it?
2) The coal mine owners whoever they may be, are totally responsible for the loss of these precious lives. They are guilty of indirect manslaughter because they permitted people to work under such dangerous conditions. No person with a moral conscience would have put persons under such perils. It is evidently an objectification of persons, a preference for money to human lives. Can such people go scot free? Probably with all their political clout and money power, they will dodge the law and escape punishment. But such people will always be burdened with a sense of guilt throughout their life.
It is high time that some reforms in our land system be made. It is my opinion that all mining activities should be in the hands of the government and not with private individuals. Mining is such an elaborate activity which involves thousands of persons. Therefore, it is evident that private persons (as it is now) are incapable of handling the safety measures of all the miners. Only the government or big corporates like the Tatas can meet these requirements which are so basic and so ethical. However, there is another way to this. The private mine owners could be helped to form themselves into a kind of corporate body and pool their ideas and resources together so as to be able to provide scientific mining of coal and also take care of the safety measures and other needs of the miners and their families.
In the wake of this state tragedy which has embarrassed the government as well as the people of Meghalaya, such steps should be taken soon. The government needs to act resolutely and put a moratorium to rat hole mining in the state and get the Mining Bill passed at the earliest and implement it. It is unethical to play with human lives and as long as these measures are not taken, more lives are in danger.