An overview of grounded impacts of mining sector in Rajasthan

INTRODUCTION

I have been there in the field for five weeks to analyze the situations of mineworkers in Rajasthan. It was a great experience for me to work in this field as this was very new for me. I came across many things while working in the field. Work that assigned by our fieldwork agency(MLPC) and supervisor which we supposed to do in the field. Our work was, to assess the realities of mineworkers, to analyze the impacts of mines on the mine-affected areas, to spread awareness of DMFT among mineworkers and directly and indirectly affected people from mining, grounded reflections of the Caste and Tribal realities in those areas, enhancing potentials in Research Capabilities. we were total five people who placed in Rajasthan and two of them including me was in Bhilwara and Bundi District of Rajasthan. Before going into detail of the block placement work I just want to brief about both districts which help everybody to understand the historical aspect of the places and how it emerge in different forms.

Inside view of Granite mine in Mandal block of Bhilwara district in Rajasthan.

Rajasthan is the largest State in the country, with difficult terrain comprising desert, forests, mountains, the tribal belt, ravines, and along the international border. Bhilwara district is extremely rich in old temples ranging in time from the 9th to 12th Century AD. The medieval temples at Bijolia, Tilaswan, Dhor, Menal & Mandalgarh etc are the example to exquisite Art and architecture. The multi-storied pound of Bhinay near Kachola is one of its kind. It is not on the record as of how the name of Bhilwara was ascribed to the now forms the district Bhilwara. Tradition has it that it came to be known as Bhilwara because it was mostly inhabited by Bhils in old days. These Bhils were eventually driven away towards the hilly tracts and interior places of less importance by the ancestors of the peasant settlers. Ironically enough, now very few Bhils live in this area.

The region of Bundi has a glorious past. Early man lived here, as is evident by the discovery of early Stone Age tools. Material remains of the pre-Christian times from Keshoraipatan as well as the sculptural heritage from the same site belonging to post-Gupta and subsequent period speak of the glorious by-gone days. The remains of the medieval temples in the area are examples of fine art and architecture Inscribed stone tablets, scattered throughout the district tell the history of the region. With the inception of the princely state in Bundi by Hadas, a branch of the celebrated Chauhans, Rajput monuments in the forms of fort and palaces came into existence. Bundi artists have played a prominent role in the evolution of early Rajasthani paintings. The mural tradition as preserved in the Chitrashala of the places here is a specimen of artistic excellence.

In above description, it has been cleared that Rajasthan was divided into different regions and every region was ruled by kings, who were mainly Rajput. People were controlled by them. Work that people used to do in the past was not the choice of the laborers but by the passage of time, everything has been changed people started merging from one sector to another. Some of them started occupying land but most of the land was captured by powerful communities like relatives of the former ruler and upper caste people. So, those who got less land belonged to lower caste and land which they had was not fertile. So, they weren’t able to fulfill the needs of the family through agriculture and become labor. So, how the process of working class/ daily wage labor from the lower caste has been started.

Mining sector of Rajasthan

Rajasthan placed in top ten mine states of the country.  The State is a major producer of ball clay, calcite, clay, copper ore/conc., feldspar, fireclay, limestone, ochre, phosphorite/rock phosphate, and steatite. The State is also an important producer of marble, granite, sandstone & Kota stone of various shades. Makrana area is the world famous center for marble mining. There are 33 thousand mines in Rajasthan and 25 lakh people working in mines along with this 98 percent people belong to SC/ST population. This data shows that the population that is most vulnerable in society engage in this riskful sector. It clarified that historical journey of the marginalized community (SC/ST) force them to engage in the mining sector as they didn’t have a permanent source of livelihood and unorganized sector like mining was the only option to earn livelihood and situation are same as before. Today even mining is the only option for these communities. Most of the people in this sector migrated from other districts as well as the adjoining states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The reason for migration is that they don’t have livelihood option in their native places as they don’t have land for agriculture.

Mica mine has been closed due to less production.

Quartz and Feldspar mines in the rainy season in Bagore village of Mandal block.

Mining is a very risky sector and the behavior of the mine owners is very arrogant toward workers and they are very careless about the security of their workers.

We Mainly engaged in mandal block of Bhilwara district and Talera block of Bundi district.  In Mandal area mainly mines of mica, granite, feldspar, quartz, soda, white stone is situated. According to CSE (Centre for Science and Environment) Report 2018, In mandal block there are 203 villages that are directly affected,5 villages which are severely affected, 56 villages which are badly affected and 142 villages which is generally affected due to mines. This is a horrible situation in this area in spite of it still the government is not taking into consideration.

A closed stone factory in the mining area.

In Bundi district, we were in budhpura and a dhaneshwar village of Talera block. The most important mineral resources of Bundi are limestone and sandstone.  The limestone deposits cater to one of the oldest cement plants of state at Lakheri. However, most of the deposits are marginal cement grade and also fall in the forest.  Other minerals include silica sand, marble, iron, clay etc. The lower Bhander sandstone in Bundi district has given good splittable sandstone deposits. There are known working quarries around Dhansuara,  Dabi, Parena, Dhonla, Bapu, Budhpura, Laubakho, Naroli, Polopara, Rajpura, and Gudlica etc. The sandstone is pinkish, bluish, color, fine to medium grained jointed and well bedded with flat dips. Splittable sandstone generally occurs below 1 to 1.5 mts. Massive sandstone and has a thickness of 3 to 4 mts. 12 lakh tonnes production was done in 1998-99 from 1355 leases.

Politics around the mining sector

As much I observed and studied about the mining sector during fieldwork in Rajasthan I realized that there are too much politics happening in this sector that only harming workers of the sector. Most of the mines owned by upper caste people who directly or indirectly affiliated with the politician and some owner holding the political position in their areas in the major political party of the country.  The landowner where mining is taking place belongs to SC/ST category. But due to the domination of upper caste and lack of awareness among Dalit and Adivasi. They gave their land to upper caste people for mining by signing the contract with them. They got very less money from the contract but they are happy when I ask some of the people who gave their land for mining about this they said that this contract is beneficial for them as they got money and after some years their land get back to them. I asked them that what will be the use of mining land in replied they said the land will be usable after filling up pits in very less amount and anyway we will be in profit in this process. So, we can see that how upper caste plays a dirty politics with the marginalized section by offering money and showing greed. As most of the mine owners are affiliated with the politics so, they easily divert welfare schemes and benefits which meant for the welfare of mineworkers. Nowadays, demands the formation of union rising by the laborers in this sector but in most the cases after the formation of the union, it becomes the puppets of owners. There are some NGOs working for the rights of labors but due to their politics and vested interest. They work that supposed to do for the workers by NGOs could not complete. One side they talk about sensitive issues of workers and another side they don’t follow an even basic principle of their NGO. After working more than 15 to 20 years for the upliftment of workers people even don’t know about the NGOs in reality. For fulfilling hidden agenda and due to the personal relationship with the political party they sometimes they remain silent.   

The government spent DMF money on the road where the area is not affected by mines.

The government increased financial aid to the silicosis patient from 1 lakh to 2 lakh but in reality, many affected people didn't get even 1 lakh rupees till.  

Caste and Tribal realities of the mining sector

In the above discussion, we talked that how upper caste people made the contract with lower caste people for mining in their land by offering very less money. In villages of Rajasthan where feudalism prevalent still and decision making power and community resources is hold by upper caste, we can’t even imagine that equal treatment by owner who is mostly from upper dominant caste with mineworkers will they do ! 98 % mineworkers belong to SC/ST in this sector and they are highly affected by the mines. How to contrast it is where the landowner is getting poorer and tenants becoming rich.  Manual work in the mines by using hammer and chisel only done by Dalit and Adivasi and other side work of caretaker, cook, Supervisor is done by upper caste people and owner relatives. We can see the difference between work that assigned to people on the basis of their caste. Less risky and comfortable work in the mines is assigned to upper caste people with more wage and on the other Dalit and Adivasi people gets high risk and hard work with less wage.

In budhpura and dhaneshwar village of Bundi district where most of the workers are migrants and they are working in the mines full of insecurity. They don’t have their own house and in rainy season rainwater get filled in their rented houses. They are not getting any kind of facility from the government. Caste plays a very vital role in choosing an occupation. In India, there is always risky work assigned to Dalit like sewage cleaning work.

Adivasi lost their land in the name of development in the mines affected area and got nothing as compensation. Mining not only affects their lives but also ruined their culture, traditional and sustainable livelihood options. They don’t even know that how roads will make them progress if they aren’t able to manage two-time meal to survive. They aren’t able to educate their children due to economic hardship.

Role of Gender in the mining sector

In Granites mines of mandal block wherever I visited no woman labor was there in the mines. As all mines have machines for the processing and there were some men who were operating machines. But in mica mines, women were working to separate mica from soda and stones. They got half less wage than man even if both do same work. As a woman, they face many problems like after coming from the work they have to do housework and look after their children. Their husband work in the mines and they work out of the mines like making small pieces/tiles from waste material. They get wage on the basis of their work that how much tiles they made in a day and wage is very less compared to male workers. Their husbands beat them in the night after drunk. They face double oppression from the owners in terms of wages and from husbands. In budhpura and dhaneshwar village where 90 out of 100 women are widow and they are struggling with their life at the age of 40 to 55. They are rushing from here to there for seeking benefits of government schemes like widow pension and others.

widow woman who works in mines and live in this Kaccha house 

woman showing her fractured hand and need money for the operation.

Government and mineworkers

Government attitude towards mineworkers is negligible. They don’t care about the welfare of people engage in this sector. If we talk about the other government schemes for the people, mineworkers never benefited from it. People even don’t have the basic facilities like ration, water, electricity, and house. When I enquired about these realities I found that most the people don’t have the necessary documents for the access of government schemes. There is no education and health facility in the mining-affected area and in emergency people have to go to the private hospitals situated nearby their villages. If sometimes they go in the government hospital the behavior of hospital administration is very rude towards them.

A road in the mining-affected area of Bhilwara district.

The Central Government launched the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) in 2015. This is a new programme meant to provide for the welfare of areas and people affected by mining-related operations, using the funds generated by District Mineral Foundations (DMFs). This scheme mandated the setting up of District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) in all districts in the country affected by mining-related operations. But after 3 years of the scheme still, most of the districts didn’t set up DMF then how the contribution and use of funds will take place without DMF. This scheme in its first stage till now and it will take a long time to reach at level of implementation if the process goes like this. And wherever the dmf is established, the situations are not as good. Money that is spending through DMF is not for the upliftment of workers but on other unnecessary things like building religious place, roads which already concreted, office for the owner but showing it as the restroom for workers.

Conclusion

Throughout the discussion one thing has been cleared that the conditions of mineworkers getting worse. After coming from fieldwork I got realized that If existing schemes reach properly to the mineworkers, it will be a great help to them. I was not aware of the mining field and the conditions of it. This fieldwork taught me that the labor class always be in the miserable conditions where bourgeois always dominant and happy. Things doesn't change even after 71 years of independence.

House of mineworkers in the Budhpura village of Bundi district.

Although this was a new field for me it helps me to explore myself in terms of conducting case studies and documenting field notes by applying contextual realities and perspective from within. As a student of DTSA( Dalit & Tribal Studies & Action), I learned that rather than putting our knowledge on people it's better to listen to them, it helps us to know more about their life in their way. There are many things which we can apply to get knowledge about people living like observation through it  I able to differentiate between what owners say about the labors and what things are exist in reality and by becoming part of their life and stay with them makes things easy to understand. Through fieldwork I got to know about the demands that mineworkers are raising to the government and demands was very genuine they are not asking any kind of luxurious things, they just want basic needs like home, drinking water, secure jobs, electricity, education, and health facility. Nobody will disagree with their demands but still, the government is unresponsive about labors demand.

By- Neeraj Bunkar