TMC backs anti-uranium resolution as stakeholders close ranks
SHILLONG, July 18: In a rare display of political unanimity, Meghalaya’s political class and pressure groups have closed ranks to tell New Delhi that uranium mining remains a “closed chapter,” asserting that no central mandate can override the collective will of indigenous landowners.
The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and the State BJP have now formally aligned with the government’s plan to move an Assembly resolution against mining the radioactive mineral. However, the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) warned that a mere resolution is insufficient to act as a legal bulwark against the Centre’s strategic interests.
AITC Meghalaya president Charles Pyngrope, backing the proposed resolution, said the voice of local communities must be the final word.
“The people have opposed uranium mining from the beginning. If the primary stakeholders—the landowners—say no, the matter should end there,” Pyngrope said. He added that the resolution would serve as a necessary signal to the Centre that Meghalaya’s stand is non-negotiable.
The KSU, which has led the anti-mining movement for decades, remains skeptical. While welcoming the Chief Minister’s “first concrete step,” KSU general secretary Reuben Najiar cautioned that a resolution is only a statement of intent.
“A resolution is not strong enough to permanently stop mining,” Najiar said, pointing to recent remarks by Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh that the issue remains “under examination.” To prevent a “backdoor” revival of the project, the Union is demanding that the Khasi, Jaintia, and Garo Hills Autonomous District Councils amend land laws to prohibit the sale of uranium-bearing land. They also demanded the immediate closure of the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) office in Nongmensong.
Public anxiety remains high, fueled by the 2020 reports of suspected leakages from effluent tanks at the Domiasiat mining site—an incident that deepened the “third rail” status of uranium in the state.
BJP MLA Alexander Laloo Hek attempted to navigate a middle ground, stating that the Centre has not yet taken a final decision. While acknowledging that the Union Ministry of Mines is still reviewing the matter, Hek maintained that the State BJP would support the Assembly resolution. “The Centre will proceed only if there is consent from the people and approval from the state government,” Hek said.
Adding a sterner warning, KSU president Raymond Kharjana alleged that “influential individuals” have begun acquiring land in the uranium belt under the guise of private development. He warned that the Union is prepared to resist any attempt to bypass the public will, particularly as road projects begin to snake toward the mineral-rich areas of West Khasi Hills.
