People's Protest
THIS IS AN UPDATE ON THE VALLEY
The Public Hearings for Magadh and Amrapali open caste coal projects in March 2003, for Badam project in November 2005, for Moitra Project in March 2006, for Badam Project in November 2005, all were blocked by hundreds of people protesting the taking over of their lands. The NTPC office inauguration was blocks by thousands of people and the office reduced to shambles. . The Chitapur Project had the kidnapping for 5 hours by the villagers of engineers who had come to inspect the proposed site.
On 23rd November 2006 hundreds of people blocked the main road on the occasion of the Pakri Barwadih public hearing in Hazaribag.
The response of the state has been the registering of innumerable criminal cases on people, this for objecting to the take over of their lands. They are often accused ob being naxalites, and treated as such. It has also leqad to the militarizing of the Public Hearings. The Paseriya Public Hearing in April this year was surrounded by 4-5 busloads of police, who were stopping people entering the area,
Previous opposition to Hearings :
The Public Hearing (PH) for Magadh and Amrapali open caste coal projects took place in March 2003, but their work has since been held up because the Oraon tribals of the Magadh project area simply do not let the company officials into the area. They stop the vehicles and let down the tires, and they once also forcibly closed down the CCL office in Tandwa. Police cases were made for this latter event.
On 21st November 2005, a PH for the Badam Project was called at Barkagaon. Hundreds of villagers gathered, took control over the venue, put up their own banners, and conducted the hearing themselves. Local officials had to sit through it, the main officials from outside failed to turn up when they were informed of “disturbance”. [Badam coal Block is allotted to Tenughat Empta Coal Mines Limited, captive coal plant for Tenughat Thermal Power Plant, land requirement Ha 508, two villages to be uprooted].
On 20th March 2006, a PH for Moitra Project failed to eventuate, large numbers of villagers gathered, but neither government nor company people turned up. Reason giver were a political party call for a general strike (not related to this issue), more likely was the fact that a few days before the people had detained a car load of company personnel at the site for several hours and damaged their vehicle. Criminal cases were registered against the people. [Moitra coal block awarded to Jayaswal Neco Ltd of Abhijeet Group, Nagpur, for pit head power plant. Land requirement Ha 407, 6 villages to be uprooted].
On 3rd July 2006 a combined PH for Badam and Moitra Projects was again scheduled, this time not in Barkagaon Block Headquarters but 30 k away in Hazaribag Town. The day before a press insert announced cancellation – of the Badam project, but they went ahead with the Moitra PH (nifty footwork there!). As it was, several hundreds of villagers again assembled, took control of the hearing, and made the Pollution Control Board Chairman Tileswar Sahu received sign a paper that the people were not ready to give their land.
On 19th May 2006 there was a PH for extension of Piparwar Project.
On September 21 2006 there was a PH for Sisai-Barinda Open Cast Project at Misrol in Samaria District. This went off with little public participation. It is a strong naxalite area, it is not clear how relevant this fact is. [This coal block awarded to Jayaswal Neco Ltd of Abhijeet Group, Nagpur, for pit head power plant. It will affect 10 villages, take 1370 Ha of land].
On 7th November, 2006, when NTPC planned to have the opening of their local office, there was a chakkar jam of tractors and several thousand people, who eventually broke into the new office and damaged it beyond use. Cases were made, and several have been arrested.
On 10th November 2006, the Public Hearing at Chandwa, Dt Latehar, for the Chittapur Project had to be abandoned because of opposition of the crowd. [Awarded to Jayaswal Neco Ltd of Abhijeet Group, Nagpur, for pit head power plant.]
On 23rd November 2006 a Hearing was scheduled for the Pakri-Barwadi OC Project, a captive coal mine to be run by NTPC. It was to be held in Hazaribag Town, 30 k from the side. That morning an SPCB press notice said it had been cancelled. But several thousands of people who had come to town for the Hearing expressed their anger and opposition by taking out a procession through the town. [awarded to NTPC as a captive coal mine, 12 villages to be uprooted, another 18 have land acquired]
On 6th January 2007 a Hearing was again scheduled for the Pakri-Barwadi OC Project, again in Hazaribag Town. The day before NTPC brought a party of about 100 village people to town, and were at about midnight they assembled with them at the Hall, which was decorated with the appropriate banners and microphones. Their purpose is not clear, it seems they were going to make a video showing the people agreeing to their project, and send this to the MOEF, New Delhi, as evidence of public agreement, no matter what happened in the Hearing the next day. About 500 Andolan people had also come to the town the evening before. (This was because their leader Rafique Ansari had been arrested the day before for events of November 7th, and they feared police indirectly preventing them traveling on the day by buses being prevented from running etc.) At about 11 am somebody in the NTPC party phoned them telling there was a midnight hearing about to take place, so they all trotted through the night to the Hall, and caught this drama in action! Most of the people fled into the dark, the NTPC GM RB Phatak locked himself in a room while two other NTPC officials were surrounded by the people. An hour later the thana police arrived to rescue them, soon the Circle Inspector, DSP and SDO also arrived. The people all dispersed on a written agreement from the SDO that the NTPC party would not be allowed to return. The next day, by this time more people arriving from the villages, about 5000 people assembled at the Hall. By 1 pm neither NTPC or SPCB people turned up, so the people then went to block the main chowk for over an hour. By mid afternoon they dispersed. Police subsequently made criminal cases against 19 people.
On January 31, 2007 a public hearing was held in Hazaribag for EMTPA’s Badam Block (cf above). The govt was in full readiness – the fire engine was moved into the site the day before - previously it could not get near those blockading the Hearing, Police were there in large numbers. Those resisting the project were about 2,000, and these occupied the venue hall, and gave written statements. Half way during the Hearing, a group of about 30, mainly land-owners and shop-keepers from Badam, arrived, and finding the venue occupied, went to the SDOs office shouting naras, and submitted in writing that they were willing to give their land. Those opposed also gave written statements.
On 11th February a meeting was organized by an NGO called Nav Chetana, held at Kesaw Hall in Hazaribag Town. This NGO is not well known, and where it has come from is very vague. Chief guest was Dr KP Sharma, who is a well known senior academic figure in Hazaribag. There was a good turn out of people, including RB Pathak, GM of the NTPC proposed Pakari Barwadi coal project. Some days before the event, one of the main Andolan activists, Deepak Kumar Das, had received phone calls several times from Dr Sharma asking him to come and present the view point of the public, which Deepak he did. At the end of the meeting, as he walked out the gate of the venue, police in plain clothes took him, bundled him in a car, and took him to the police station, from where he was sent to jail. He had warrants of arrest against him for events of both Nov 7th and January 6th.
On April 16 2007 there was another Public Hearing for Pakri Barwadih. The DC herself agreed that these PHs should be in the locality, hence it was in Barkagaon. Large numbers of public turned up, from the govt. SDO, LRDC, and very large numbers of police. The public insisted that the criminal cases against several andolan people be withdrawn. Some press reports said the PH did take place, others said not so!
ON 11TH November 2007 there was a Public Hearing in village Devagarh primary school for Tokisud OCP at the south-east corner of the Karanpura Valley. People from the Karanpura Aandolan who went were chased away, opposition to them coming from the naxalites or from the local people, it is not too clear. Prabhat Khabar 13 Nov 2008 reported large numbers of armed police. The project is by JVK Power, the GM and AGM were present.
On 7th December 2007, NTPC began the repair of their damaged Barkagaon office. A protest led by Mitalesh, with large numbers of people present, was held, but failed to stop the repair work.
On 28th April, 2008 NTPC held Public Hearing for Keredari OCP. The village women occupied the seats in the venue, 2-3 NTPC officials were there from Delhi, but refused to give names, “thousands in protest” Prabhat Khabar 29 April 08.
6th June 2008 NTPC has a tree planting programme in Pakri-Barwadih.
On 10th June, 2008 a Public Hearing was held in Bundu village, for Messres Runta Bundu Coal Mine, Keredari, Nth Karanpura. The Company had prepared well, had done house visiting, and had distriubuted a pamphlet with details praising the project. Total Hc 600 will be taken, 400 is forest, 100 is ryoti, 100 is GM. The politics of this is that while the majority of the peole, the lower castes, have possession of forest and GM land, they will get no compensation as they do not have legal ownership. The high caste Saundis (Shanker Sao, Dhaneswar Sao, some Turi) have only ryoti land, and will get compensation. Hence there is division in the village, the ST-SCs not wanting to give the land, the Saundis ready to do so. On the day of the hearing, the opposing group assembled early and occupied all the seats of the venue. There were several hundreds, with haswa, bows and arrows, and started giving their own speeches. Officials did not arrive till about 1.30, the SDO, BDO and CO. They came with heavy police escort from Tandwa, Keredari and Barkagaon thanas. Shorty after arrival they took leaders of the opposition, Mithilesh and others, and locked them in the near by school. Seeing this, the opposition villagers left their seats to go to the school to try and release them. The seats were then occupied by the supporting group. The officials then, within a period of twenty minutes, gave a short speech, asked for a show of hands with the video being taken, and then left the scene. Public Hearing held, supporting video sent to Delhi!! No media reports of the event were made.
15th June 2008 At a much publicized tree planting programme in Barkagaon, , NTPC GM RS Sharma said that “all will taste the sweet fruit of the tree of NTPC”
August 2008 Times of India Report (n/d): Thiess India has started infrastructure for opening a Greenfield open cut coal mine of Abhijeet Group at Western end of the North Karanpura coalfield. In Latehar district. ..has HQ in Brisbane, one of Australia’s largest construction mining and services contractors…KB Trehan, executive head (mining and infrastructure) told TOI with production of 6m TPA will deliver coal to a power station adjacent to the mine. … the first major mining project in India by Thiess…expected to commence at the from th end of nest year (ie 2009).
24th September, 2008: The BDO, CO and other officials of Barkagoan were beaten up and hospitalized when they were distributing some compensation to persons to be displaced by Pakri Barwadi coal mine. Cases u/s 147,148,149,341,323,427,379,307,353, 120B, and 3/4 were made on over 500 people.
26th September 2008: A meeting of the village Advisory Committee of NTPC’s Tandwa power station was held at Tandwa.
14th October 2008: Prabhat Khabar re NKSSPP reported 1500 displacees, 2600 acres to be settled, of which to day 1041 had been done. Dulal Bhuiya Govt revenue officer was present.
10th November 2008: Press Report in Times of India, summary: “a day long meeting (date not given) between NTPC (Exec Director BP Singh, Pakri Barwadih GM A Upendra Rao, the District Administration (DC Binay Dubey Chuabe), politicians (MP BP Mehta and MLA Lokhnath Mahato) was held to resolve outstanding issues. The company was prepared to pay Rs 4 t0 5 lakh compensation per acre on top of R&R package. But there is no provision to provide employment, however, training for youth will be given”.
NTPC runs various “Free Medical Camps” Manjhlidih (Prabhat Khabar 11.12.08), Dundwa and Naiparam (Prabhat Khabar 10.12.08) Darhi (Prabhat Khabar 25.12.08), and elsewhere. In December it widely distributed sports goods (cricket equipment) throughout the villages. On 8th November it had also celebrated ‘Foundation Day’.
9th January 2009: Public Hearing at village Baladuri, for Keredari OC coal mining project to be run by NTPC. Attnded by a NTPC official from Delhi, Pollution Control officials from Ranchi, over 150 police (men and women). About 100 people sat in the venue tent, the officials read out the details, and a show of hands was asked for. The whole process took a very short time. Those opposing set apart, the leader Mithalesh said they would show their protest by refusing to sit. He is starting an alternative organization, Bhumi Raksha (Earth Protection) as an alternative to Karanpur Bachao.
On April 21 2009 there was a Public Hearing at village Paseria (Rohne). [This coal block is being undertaken by Rohne Coal Co. Pvt Ltd, held 3 companies: .JSW Steel Ltd (69%), Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd.(24%), Jai Balaji Industries (7%).JSW will implement the project, which will be for its 10mt steel plant]. Opposition to peoples’ protest was here stronger than ever before because of overwhelming police presence – at the request of the Company or the Administration?. The statements of the people claim that the day before Company personnel had had a meeting with the people, that on the Hearing day there were several bus loads of police and security people, “it was like a police camp”, that these were stopping motorcycles coming to the area and asking for papers, that they were stopping groups of people well away from the Hearing venue, that at the Hearing the officials just asked what are your problems, we will give you naukari. It was the formality of a Hearing that has become so common, the newness was the threatening presence of police. There are audio recorded statements by Bimal Karamali of Koleing and Ratho Ganjhu of Dibdaha about this Hearing.