By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 2: Rajya Sabha member WR Kharlukhi on Tuesday called on policymakers to look beyond the national capital and understand the realities faced by people in remote regions before framing decisions that affect livelihoods.
His remarks came amid the ongoing agitation by the Jaintia Coal Owners, Miners, Suppliers and Workers Association (JCOMSWA), which staged a hunger strike on Monday to highlight issues affecting thousands of coal owners, miners, transporters, suppliers and workers in East Jaintia Hills. Kharlukhi said governments and regulatory bodies must take into account the ground situation before implementing policies.
He maintained that while decisions taken in Delhi may appear sound on paper, the realities in far-flung areas are often very different. “India is not just Delhi but also the villages and remote regions,” he said, urging authorities to engage directly with affected communities and conduct detailed studies before arriving at conclusions.
Drawing parallels with the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the MP said he had raised concerns in Parliament and also discussed the matter with the Union Education Minister. He noted that although policies may appear well-designed in official documents, challenges frequently emerge when they are implemented on the ground.
Referring to the coal mining issue, Kharlukhi said the livelihood concerns of thousands of families dependent on the sector should be carefully considered alongside environmental concerns.
He argued that decisions affecting such communities should be preceded by proper assessment of their socio-economic impact.
He also questioned whether adequate attention was being paid to pollution caused by large industries in other parts of the country and its impact on public health.
The JCOMSWA agitation comes amid continuing debate over coal mining, transportation and employment in Meghalaya’s coal-producing belt, where the sector remains a major source of livelihood despite restrictions imposed following the National Green Tribunal’s ban on rat-hole mining.
Alternative coal mining model
Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister and West Jaintia Hills MLA Wailadmiki Shylla on Tuesday said Meghalaya should approach the Centre to explore alternative coal mining models, as he maintained that scientific mining has not proved beneficial for many miners in the state.
Speaking on the ongoing concerns over coal mining, Shylla recalled that the issue stemmed from the National Green Tribunal’s 2014 ban, which triggered widespread protests and unrest in coal-bearing areas.
He said the ban has since been lifted following interventions by the state government, but mining is now permitted only through scientific methods.
Shylla said many miners, including those with large landholdings, had attempted to comply with the scientific mining framework but found it difficult to meet the requirements prescribed by the Coal Ministry.
According to him, the geological nature of coal deposits in Jaintia Hills makes open-cast mining economically unviable, as the coal occurs in thin layers, thereby resulting in poor returns and potential losses.
Sharing the concerns of local miners, the minister said legislators from the Jaintia Hills region are equally worried about the impact on livelihoods. At the same time, he stressed that the government has a responsibility to strike a balance between environmental protection and the economic interests of people dependent on coal mining.
Stating that Meghalaya could not seek a return to rat-hole mining without first attempting scientific mining, Shylla said the experience gained over the past few years has demonstrated the limitations of the current model.
He said Meghalaya should now engage with the Centre to explore other technological and regulatory options that could protect the interests of small miners while ensuring environmental safeguards.
