The residents of Tamar block in Ranchi district have been demanding scrapping of the Parasi gold mining project since 2017, alleging that the community was not consulted. According to the Mineral Exploration Corporation, the block holds 7.467 million tonnes of gold reserves and was auctioned to Rungta Mines Limited, a flagship company of the SR Rungta Group, for INR 1,200 crore. The Rungta Group is primarily involved in iron ore and manganese ore mining. Protests against the auction of the gold block broke out soon after the auction process was completed in November 2017. According to media reports, forest dwellers from 19 villages under the Parasi panchayat staged a peaceful demonstration at the Albert Ekka Chowk in Ranchi on November 8, 2017. At the protest, two groups – the Adivasi Jan Parishad and the Panch Pargana Zamin Bachao Sangharsh Morcha – demanded the implementation of the 1997 Samatha Judgment (a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court in 1997 in which it declared all lands leased out to private mining companies in Scheduled Areas null and void)** **and protested the lack of consultation with the Gram Sabha prior to the auction of the gold block. The map shows that not just Parasi, but panchayats such as Amlesha, Ulidih, Tamar, Kundula, Kurkutta, among others, will come under the mining area gradually. Entire Tamar block will be erased slowly from the map, president of Adivasi Jan Parishad Prem Singh Munda told the media. However, the State Mines Commissioner had dismissed the apprehensions. According to him, there was no reason to harbour such apprehensions at an early stage as mining and environmental clearances were yet to be obtained. Following the protest, the two organisations also submitted memorandums to the governor demanding the cancellation of the auction but received no response, Munda told LCW. Tamar is a Schedule V area. This is also Mundari Khunt Kattidari Zameen *(land cleared by the Mundas for cultivation and habitation after their arrival in Chotanagpur)* and based on the Samatha Judgment, the Gram Sabha should have been consulted prior to the auction of the mine, he said, adding that brokers have started visiting the villagers to convince them to give up their land. The mining plan for the gold block was approved in 2018, but the project is yet to be granted an environmental clearance and a mining lease. While the submissions to the environment ministry state that over 97,000 people live within a 10kilometre radius of the project site, the mining plan states that there is no habitation in the area and, thus, the project will not cause displacement. But the fear of displacement, pollution from the mine and loss of land and livelihood continue to loom large among the tribal residents of the area. While land owners may be compensated for their loss, what about the landless people? Pollution from the mine will wipe out the entire region, said Girish Singh Munda, a member of the panchayat, while speaking to LCW. According to media reports, the residents held another demonstration on August 21, 2019, a day before the Pollution Control Board held a meeting with them.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Scrapping of the project
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Both
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land), Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
1200
Type of investment:
Investment Made
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Laws, Case Laws, Land Acquisition Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of environmental laws
Forced evictions/dispossession of land
Violation of free prior informed consent
Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act
Non-implementation/violation of FRA
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd, Jharkhand Government
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Rungta Mines Limited
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Nupur Sonar is keen on issues surrounding land rights. She has formerly worked at Tehelka, Video Volunteers and VICE India.
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