Shillong, July 29: The Hynniewtrep A’chik National Movement (HANM) today decided to stage a ‘sit-in-protest’ on August 1, demanding the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to revoke its decision by allowing coal mining to continue in Meghalaya on grounds that the livelihood activities of the people should be given more consideration.
The members of the organization stage the demonstration in the premise of the Meghalaya High Court on the day when the NGT will sit for the next hearing that in on the 1st August. These decision was taken at the central executive committee of the central body.
“We will take out a sit-in-protest on August 1, as a move to express strong opposition against the hasty decision taken by the NGT to ban coal mining in Meghalaya which has in turn caused a lot of damage to the livelihood opportunities of the people in the state,” HANM vice president Bobby Basaiawmoit told reporters at a news conference.
Accordingly to organization, the sudden imposition of the ban on coal mining without giving any chance for the people and the state government to think of other alternatives is totally uncalled for and unacceptable.
“We can no longer ignore the prevailing situation and the problems faced by the people especially those coming from poor economic background, the after-effect of the drastic decision taken by the NGT,” Basaiawmoit stated adding “Nobody is spare, the ban has a severe affect on the people even to the extent there were reported cases of people who are forced to sell their children away due to no alternative means to survival.”
He said, “Therefore, we demanded the NGT to consider allowing the coal mining because banning it is not the solution but instead it has brought severe damage to the livelihood activities of the people.”
The vice president further informed, “The CEC has also resolved to intensify their stir, if the NGT fails to acknowledge the plight that the people of the state are going through at the moment.”
Adding to this, the working president of the organization, Nelson Kharbani questioned the NGT for its decision being specifically to Meghalaya alone. “Why did the NGT not impose a similar ban in the entire country, if it feels that mining of coal is illegal or damaging to the environment, why being specifically to our State. Imposing such ban only to a particular state, is it not that the NGT is bias enough to give an order which lacks human touch,” he asked.
He said, “We are against the order of the NGT because it was taken in a hush hush manner without giving a chance to the people to find out other alternative means for their livelihood.(SP News)
