Shillong, March 05: The Quarrying and Mining activities of Tribal people of Meghalaya and the Exportation of the extracted Limestone to the then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, has been prevailing in the then Assam now Meghalaya since times immemorial of the British Regime in India. Such Limestone Quarrying and Mining activities of the Tribal people have been known and memorable. The Limestone that the Tribal people of Meghalaya is Exported to the then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, has only one name and that is “Limestone”. This Limestone has been extracted in those earlier days from the Private Lands. This Limestone has been Exported in those days through River Routes by Boats. These River routes are found in Khasis, Jaintias and Garos Areas. One boat is carrying about 1 metric tonne depending on the size of the Boats. The Trade and Commerce relations at that time have been smooth, regular, peaceful and cordial.
The Limestone Mining and Quarrying in those days is simple with less expenditure because the tools and implements used for Extraction of Limestone were few and less in numbers. These are—- 1). Two Crowbars, 2). One Flat Spade, 3). Hammer weighing between 5-10 kilos, 4). Black Gun Powder and Fuse Wire. The Crowbars were used for digging and drilling hole purposes. The deepest drilling hole was 1 ft but the holes were of half and quarter foot normally.
The Flat Spade was used for cleaning the earth, mud, etc. The Hammer was used for breaking oversized Limestone above 12 inches. The Black Gun Powder and Fuse Wire were used in drilling holes for breaking Limestone Rocks. The system of Quarrying and Mining including Extraction of Limestone is manual. This Black Gun Powder and Fuse wire were supplied by the Importers of the then East Pakistan, and now Bangladesh to the Miners and Exporters of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Districts within the then Assam and now Meghalaya. The Limestone Miners were not required to have an Explosive License because the Importers of the then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, supplied the explosive materials.
The system of payment was also very simple in those days. The Importers themselves come to make payment by themselves on every Market Days. The Miners and Exporters never chase the Importers because the Importers themselves personally come for payment. The payment system in those days was also very simple, straight, and cordial free from worries, difficulties and problems which is not as it is today. The Tribal people of these Districts were very Happy, living peacefully and earning their livelihood from this Limestone Quarrying and Mining activities.
Every male adult member of these Tribal people can do this work of Limestone Extraction in his simple way with less financial support not like the present day. The system of Quarrying, Mining and Extracting Limestone had been smooth, regular, straight and cordial in those days. Export License issued by the Government authorities was not required because the Tribal people had been doing this Export system freely. The system of Export has been prevailing in these areas up to the time when the State of Meghalaya attained it’s statehood. The present Government has brought and introduced various changes in the system of Mining and Export of Limestone.
In the year 2016 the system of Quarrying and Mining activities by the Tribal people ( Khasis, Jaintias and Garos) of Meghalaya has been stopped by the State Government. Simultaneously in the year 2016 the State Government of Meghalaya has framed new Rules for Limestone Quarrying and Mining and these Rules are now called “ MEGHALAYA MINOR MINERALS CONCESSION RULES, 2016”. This new Rule came into force from the year 2016, itself. These Rules have classified the Limestone into two classes, namely, 1). “MAJOR LMESTONE” and 2).”MINOR LIMESTONE”. The “MAJOR LIMESTONE” can be used and Exported for use in the Cement Industry whereas “MINOR LIMESTONE” can be used only in Lime Kiln Industry. When it is so, the Tribal people of Meghalaya cannot Quarry and Mine the “MAJOR LIMESTONE” but they can Extract only the “MINOR LIMESTONE” for supply and use in the Lime Kiln Industry.
The question now is how many Lime Kiln Industries are there in Meghalaya that can consume the Limestone Extracted and produced by the Tribal people of Meghalaya. Another question is whether the State Government of Meghalaya has any Lime Kiln Industry for example the Bamboo Plant (Factory) in Garo Hills has already been closed for good. The Bamboo Plant (Factory) has been closed for good because of the fact that it is not economically viable instead of the strengthening and improving. When it is so whither the Tribal people of Meghalaya can go, migrate in search of their livelihood.
The “MEGHALAYA MINOR MINERALS CONCESSION RULES, 2016 “ directly hit hard the very existence of these Tribal people of Meghalaya for their livelihood and particularily those local indegineous inhabitants living in the Border Areas adjacent to Bangladesh. The burning question today is where these Limestone called “MINOR LIMESTONE” produced by the Tribal people of Meghalaya can be sold after extraction and production. Whether there is market to purchase this “MINOR LIMESTONE” for such quantity produced and extracted by the Tribal people.
It can be said that the new Rules of the State Government called “MEGHALAYA MINOR MINERALS CONCESSION RULES, 2016” are beneficial only to the Non-Tribal Companies Mining, Quarrying, Extracting Limestone with free hands and monopoly to work and Export Limestone to Bangladesh. These two Non-tribal Companies existing in Meghalaya are—1).” M/s KOMORRAH LIMESTONE MINING COMPANY PRIVATE LIMITED” whose Head-office is in Kolkata, West Bengal. The other Non-Tribal Company is “M/s LAFARGE UMIAM MINING COMPANY PRIVATE LIMITED” whose Head-office is in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This is a Foreign-Owned Company of France and Spain (European Countries).
The system of Mining and Quarrying Limestone by these two Companies is Mechanization, that is, using Heavy Earth moving Machineries like Bulldozers, JCB, Front-End Loaders Machines and Deep Hole Drilling Machines with less manual system of working. The manpower requirement in these machines is very less, that is, One Machine will have one Operator and one Helper in one shift so on and so forth. If the Tribal people of Meghalaya like to Export Limestone then the concerned competent authorities of the State Government will not issue Transit Chalans, Transit Permits and Transit Passes ( TC, TP and TPs) meaning thereby there are hurdles, problems, difficulties and blockades wherever the Tribal people of Meghalaya move. The situation for the Tribal people of Meghalaya is, therefore, very pathetic by the coming into force of these new Rules called “ MEGHALAYA MINOR MINERALS CONCESSION RULES, 2016” meaning thereby primarily to hit these Tribal people of Meghalaya from the back. When it is so, the immediate and burning Call to the Tribal people of Meghalaya is to Unite together, to Fight against such New Rules 2016 for their very Existence and Survival
Therefore being hard pressed by the Economic hardships and sufferings the Elders of those villages in the Border Areas with Bangladesh as a body came to Shillong on 16/2/2017 and met the Hon’ble Minister i/c Forest and Environment Department to place before him their various Economic hardships and sufferings that they are facing in the Border Areas after the stoppage of Export of Limestone from the Border Areas to the neighbouring country Bangladesh. The Hon’ble Minister gave patient hearings to their hardships, sufferings, problems and difficulties and promised them that he will consider and take necessary decision to re-open and re-allowing the resumption of Mining and Quarrying activities as usual.
But the promises and assurances of the Hon’ble Minister to the body of elders from the Rural Border villages have not proved any Results or Outcome till date. The Local Indegineous inhabitants living in the Border villages are under stress and strain for their very existence and livelihood and briefly it can be said as per the wise saying— “ Survival of the fittest” is very much applicable to these Tribal people of Meghalaya living in the Border Areas with Bangladesh. Said Mr Stodar Dkhar president Meghalaya Minerals Exporter’s Chamber of Commerce.
