SHILLONG: In a sharp attack on the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), Thomas Passah, Working President of the Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM), has accused the state government of “feigned ignorance” over the rampant illegal coal mining in Meghalaya.
Referring to recent incidents in Thangsko, East Jaintia Hills, Passah said that despite the ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), illegal mining continues to flourish, allegedly with government patronage.
Dismissing claims that authorities were unaware of illegal activities, Passah ridiculed the government’s position.
“It is impossible to believe the government is in the dark. Coal mining is not something done inside a small, hidden room. It is a massive operation visible to everyone,” he said.
Mocking official explanations, he added, “Do they hide coal in their pockets?”
The KHNAM leader pointed out that coal transportation involves heavy machinery and large trucks that regularly ply national highways and cross multiple police check gates.
“Coal is not smuggled in small bags. These trucks pass through checkpoints at night, right under the noses of authorities and the public,” he remarked.
According to Passah, such large-scale operations can only function with a “special understanding” between operators and those in power.
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Reacting to the government’s decision to institute inquiries, Passah dismissed them as cosmetic exercises.
He alleged that the probes were intended to shield the real beneficiaries of illegal mining and create the illusion of accountability.
“These are nothing but smoke and mirrors to protect the actual culprits,” he claimed.
Responding to statements that mining sites are located in remote and inaccessible areas, Passah questioned the logic behind the claim.
“If the terrain is too difficult for law enforcement to reach, how are operators successfully transporting and exporting thousands of tonnes of coal out of the state?” he asked.
Passah also launched a strong critique of the state’s mining policy, accusing it of favouring large corporations at the expense of local communities.
He alleged that stringent lease conditions allow only big companies to qualify while small landowners are forced to surrender ancestral land to survive.
According to him, the policy has marginalised small-scale miners and traditional landholders.
Calling for urgent reforms, Passah demanded a complete overhaul of the mining policy to prioritise local workers and small operators.
He warned that continued protection of illegal syndicates and corporate interests would damage Meghalaya’s reputation nationally and threaten the land and future of its indigenous people.
“If the government keeps playing favourites, it will destroy both the state’s image and the livelihood of its people,” he said.
