Stop persuading people to mine uranium in Meghalaya: Khasi students

Meghalaya's powerful Khasi Student's Union (KSU) on Tuesday asked the Central government and the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) to stop persuading the people to allow them to mine uranium in the state.

"They (government authorities) have already known that there has been a strong opposition against uranium mining, but they keep persuading the people," KSU supremo Lambokstarwell Marngar said addressing the gathering while observing April 4 as "Sngi Kyrsiew Ri" or Khasi National Awakening Day.

The Khasi National Awakening Day is observed across Khasi-Jaintia hills to commemorate the day freedom fighter U Tirot Sing Syiem waged a war in 1829 against the British.

"Therefore, if violence breaks out in the state because of this (uranium) issue, the Centre, state government and UCIL and Atomic Minerals Directorate will be held responsible," Marngar warned.

Observing the awakening day under the theme "say no to uranium mining", thousand of KSU activists marched took out a protest march to AMD office here, voicing out their vociferous opposition against the plan to extract uranium deposits from South West Khasi Hills district.

The activists also burnt down effigies of AMD and UCIL as mark of protest.

"For the past 27 years, the UCIL has been making attempt to mine uranium in Meghalaya, but they have failed to achieved their plan as the people are against the mining of this highly radioactive mineral which will annihilate the indigenous people of the state," said North East Students' Organisation (NESO) chairman, Samuel B. Jyrwa.

"Had we not agitated since that time, we do not know what will happen now. They have used all sorts of tactics to convince the people. Now they should realise that uranium is a forgotten issue," he added.

He also cited how the indigenous people at Jharkhand's Jadugoda have suffered due to the ill-effects of uranium mining.

Last month, a team of UCIL officials led by their Chairman and Managing Director, C.K. Asnani held a closed-door meeting with five anti-mining groups seeking their views and opinions on Kylleng Pyndengsohiong Mawthabah (KPM) uranium mining project that has been stalled for over two decades.

However, the leaders of the various groups, including the KSU asked the UCIL officials to scrap the proposal, saying they will not allow anyone to mine this radioactive mineral in Meghalaya

UCIL had proposed to set up an open-cast uranium mining and processing plant at Mawthabah. Meghalaya has an estimated 9.22 million tonnes of uranium ore deposits.

--IANS

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