Mining industry’s
structures of domination
Sebastian Rodrigues, October 2011
One of the favored tools of the mining industry particularly
when the protest began to show themselves resisting mining industry was the use
of violence through state police force. Mining industry in Goa never cultivated
their private mafia. State police force would do their job perhaps for some off
the record considerations. The first known protests against mining industry
came about in later half of the decade of 1970s when the two villages in Goa’s
northern taluka of Bicholim revolted – Mayem and Sirgao. Bicholim taluka has mines
of number of mining companies – Dempos, Chowgules, Bandekars, Sesa Goa etc.
Those who were involved in rebellion were arrested by Goa Police. Mere arrest
that time was sufficient enough to demoralize the peasants. They did not know
any way of surpassing police repression and suspended their agitation. Few
villages peasants were offered money to suspend the rebellion. The decade of
1970s went about with these kinds sporadic protests with no co-ordination of
politics of one village with another. No serious search for surmounting police
siding with mining companies. These protests were exclusively were of the
people directly affected by mining – particularly their paddy fields. Protests
during this time evaporated yet the thought of havoc that mining is ravaging
their villages and need to do something remained in a latent yet simmering
state only to resurface in the first decade of the twenty-first century. So the
first mechanism of domination has been the use of police force.
The second favored structure of domination of mining
industry has been the control of media. Mining industry with a remarkable
foresight set up their newspapers. Dempos set up Navhind Times in English and
Navaprabha in Marathi. Chowgules started Gomantak in Marathi and later Gomantak
times in English. Salgaoncar started monthly magazine ‘Goa Today’ and later
Konkani daily ‘Sunaprant’. These papers saw to that public attention never gets
focused on the ecological crimes that their owners were indulging in. The
remaining papers – Tarun Bharat, Rastramat in Marathi and Herald in English too
did not carry any consistent exposition of mining industry’s ill doings even
though their owners were not mining companies. Press in Goa suffered from three
major defects – censorship by owners, self-censorship, and fear of the mining
industry that was all pervasive in society. Overall it served as an effective
structure of domination for mining industry till 2008 when media began to
become increasingly vigilant, aware and ownership of few newspapers shifted
away from mining industry, entry of Times of India in English, Lokmat, Pudhari
and other publications in Marathi, and effective use of internet by activists
in Goa to overcome limits posed by mainstream media.
The third favored structure of domination of the mining
industry has been the donations to the village temples. This is an informal
form of structures that worked wonders for the mining industry. Paltry sum of
donation to demolish and reconstruct the village temples would see that the
village never comes to pursue the path of rebellion against mining industry.
Psychology of the villagers is such that that they remain indebted to the donor
for a long time. This phenomena is rampant in all over Goa and effectively
exploited by mining companies. It is not uncommon to witness scenes of posh
temples in mining ravaged villages. Religion has been hijacked by mining
industries and people in various areas have not been able to put a brake on
this trend. It continues to serve the mining companies. Related aspect here is
periodic payments made as compensation for the destruction of agricultural
fields. However of late number of people have refused to subscribe to the
ideology of compensation.
The fourth strong structure of domination has been the hold
over educational institutions. Mining companies set up graduate colleges –
Dempos - and law college - Salgaoncar to make their presence felt in
ideological spectrum of the society. Mining companies has also instituted
fellowships for senior researchers. Dempos is one such example. Mining
companies and their caste alliances are also involved in writing their history.
One of the favored aspects of process is to establish hegemonic hold over Goa,
particularly its tribes. It is project of conquest through ideological apparatus
to further the agenda of domination not just of the mining industry but over
the entire society through thought control measures. Mining companies also has
significant influence over the senate of Goa University and its policies. It is
because of this influence Goa University was stopped from granting central
University status. It is because of this that Goa University has not set up
centre for the study for centre of study of tribes in Goa. It is because of
this that fees of Goa University are constantly hiked in order to keep the
students away from access to higher education. To a large extend mining
companies are successful in this venture. It is against the interest of the
mining that higher education becomes widespread as the ignited minds will be
difficult to curtail in their path if chosen to direct against the mining
industry and their caste, class alliances that form coteries and select
vice-chancellors.
The fifth strong structure of domination is NGO sector.
Mining industry, after facing severe criticism from TERI report in 1997 set up
its combine NGO – The Goa Mineral Foundation in 2000. It is working as buffer
of public criticism on mining industry. It is involved in whole range of
activities from dance classes, distributing notebooks for students, building of
toilets, building of bus sheds, sending people for vocational training,
watershed programs in one village etc. It has got full time staff that engages
in all kinds of activities except in criticizing mining industry. The funds for
this are shared between various mining companies Sesa Goa being one of the
prominent one. However it is important to observe here that this NGO of mining
company has come as response to the protests against mining and to earn credits
for the corporate social responsibility. Government of India in a draft mineral
policy has cited this NGO as one of the examples to be replicated by the mining
industry in India. On ground in Goa however it has not at all succeeded in
diverting attention from core damage caused by mining industry. Nevertheless it
is a structure of domination sought to be made effective by mining industry but
has not succeeded.
The sixth strong structure of domination by mining industry
is use and abuse of judiciary in Goa. After the intense protests this is a
phenomenon that has come about providing some succor to the mining industry.
Police cases are registered on number false pretexts’, people then are
arrested, forced to take bail and then after some months charge-sheeted and
cases gets listed in the courts. Then people are served notices at home by
court bailiffs and asked to appear in the court on a particular date. After
appearing in the court the next date is given for appearance. Judiciary’s role
in mining belt of Goa has been largely to frustrate the protesting people.
Mining companies aim exactly that. Currently there are over 300 cases in
various courts of Goa against various people protesting mining industry’s
onslaughts. The state government has the power to withdraw these cases but since
the mining companies are using the State government as their executive
committee these cases are carrying on. Goa’s Chief minister Digambar Kamat
holds a portfolio of mining minister for over past 12 years and shares personal
interest in the continuation of mining industry. He has a family ties with
mining companies. In this scenario Judiciary has been used to further the
agenda of the mining companies. Judiciary was also used to silence the vocal
critic of the mining industry – the author of this paper – by Fomentos by
filing civil defamation suit of Rs.500 crores in Calcutta High Court, Kolkatta
for his online writings on blog belonging to Gawda, Kunbi, Velip and Dhangar
Federation (GAKUVED). Mining companies are using Judiciary as the very reliable
structure of domination.
Seventh strong structure of domination of mining industry is
EIA[1]
and Public Hearings. These are paid for by mining companies are thoroughly
rigged in almost all the cases in numerous manner. EIA studies are tailored not to the objective
reality on ground but to suit the interest of the mining companies. This is
because it is the mining companies that are financing the EIA studies. On the
day of mandatory hearings there is manipulation in terms of venue – very often
it is held in minister’s cabin in a far away place from the mining site. MoEF
is guilty of ignoring public opposition to mining projects all over Goa and
sanctioned environmental clearances there by establishing colonial relationship
between the Central government and people of Goa.
No comments:
Post a Comment