SHILLONG, MAY 14: Carrying a placard that read “no coal, no food, no lives,” Reginal Shylla, a resident of Khliehriat in East Jaintia Hills, took out a lone protest rally from the State Central Library to Malki ground on Thursday, seeking to launch an indefinite hunger strike against the ban on coal mining and its impact on thousands of families.
Shylla, however, was forced to call off the strike after the district administration denied him permission. He said the protest was intended to press the state government to formulate a mining policy suited to the district to end what he called a 12-year crisis.
“We demand from the government to reopen coal mining, that is traditional scientific coal mining which the public can work on according to the nature of the land in our state of Meghalaya,” Shylla said.
Shylla said he had planned to begin the fast today but could not proceed without official clearance.
“Yes, in truth I intended to go on a hunger strike today but I did not get permission. But as a youth of the community, I have that strong spirit of love for the community that I am willing to sacrifice my life for the community by fasting,” he said.
He expressed anguish over the venue allotted for the rally and what he described as the government’s treatment of coal workers. “I am sad that they gave us a place to hold the rally that is filthy. To this extent the government looks down on us coal workers, they don’t even consider us as dogs anymore,” Shylla said.
“We request with respect through the law but the government even gives us a place full of filth. To this level we are in front of the MDA government, we have become like filth.”
Directing his message to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who also holds the Mining and Geology portfolio, Shylla said the ban had pushed families to the brink.
“This is a sign to show the government how much the people are suffering, how much our people in our region are dying, how poor they are, so that the government, so that Conrad’s eyes will see and look, his deaf ears will hear, that he will listen to the demands of the people,” he said.
Pointing to his worn footwear and clothes, he added, “My footwear is also worn out. This is a sign to show the poverty of the people. I want to show the whole world, Shillong, Meghalaya and NGOs that we who work in coal are suffering to this extent because water has reached our necks, we don’t know when our people will die of hunger.”
Addressing the CM directly, Shylla said, “Sir, how many multiple times of petition I have written to you as minister incharge of mining and not even once you reply or take up this issue. Today, this is the condition of our people, we don’t have slippers or proper clothes to wear. We don’t have money to buy food to feed our children. This is our condition. Shame on you as a minister incharge of the mining and geology department.”
Citing constitutional rights, he said, “Under Article 19 of the Indian Constitution we have been given the right to agitate without taking up arms, without disturbing the public. But we don’t get it.” Shylla maintained that the government could resolve the crisis if it chose to.
“The government, if they want, will give us a proper mining policy plan that is traditional and suitable for the state. Our demand is final judgment, final mining we want. Not,” he said, trailing off.
