Uranium unrest, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• The Central government is pushing to mine uranium in Meghalaya, despite opposition from Khasi groups since the 1980s.
• The Union Environment Ministry issued an office memorandum (OM) exempting atomic, critical, and strategic mineral extraction from public consultation.
• Local groups are condemning the OM-based route, with some calling on the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council to use its Sixth Schedule powers.
• The Uranium Corporation of India Limited has faced protests in Jharkhand's Singhbhum district over radiation exposure and loss of livelihoods.

Detailed Insights:

• The government's decision disregards the refusal of local leaders, signaling that their opposition is no longer acceptable.
• Uranium mining is highly polluting and can irreversibly alter the landscape, necessitating free, prior, and informed consent.
• Tribal communities perceive their land as a 'resource frontier' for the 'Rest of India', due to experiences with uranium mining.
• Communities might challenge the OM's validity in courts, invoking protections under the Fifth and Sixth Schedules, citing precedents like Niyamgiri (2013).
• The Ministry must withdraw its OM to prevent a precedent that could reshape mining governance across India.
• If local protests intensify, the Centre should respond with dialogue, ensuring constitutional protections are realized in practice.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Office Memorandum (OM): An executive instrument issued without independent scrutiny that erodes procedural safeguards.
• Fifth and Sixth Schedules: Constitutional provisions providing special protections and autonomy to tribal areas.
• Free, Prior, and Informed Consent: The principle that communities have the right to give or withhold consent to projects affecting their lands.