Children - Terre des Hommes

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the situation of children living in the parts of the country
wealthiest in natural resources is abysmal. The central
government, state governments, mining companies and nongovernmental
organisations need to work together to ensure
that these children are no longer denied their basic rights,
and to ensure that the development, so promised by the
government and the mining sector, becomes a reality for all.
Responsible mining and responsibility towards local
communities is not visible in India. Therefore, the fear
that exists in the hearts of the communities and public is
whether private companies can ever be made accountable if
the public sector has no record of best practices. With India’s
thrust for the future being privatisation of mining projects,
there is little hope for sustainable mining to be implemented
with seriousness, in the absence of best practices from the
public sector and the looming gaps that exist in the law and
regulatory mechanisms.
The corporate induced conflicts and state of terror in these
regions, particularly in Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand
were visible all through the study where data collection
was interrupted several times due to strikes, bandhs, non
cooperation of local communities due to fear of police and
industry repercussions, and the inability to travel without
fear of violence.
A lot depends on the political will, public accountability and
bureaucratic transparency. A lot also depends on a nation’s
conscience. Unless the collective conscience of policy makers,
the mining companies and the general public is awakened
to the harsh reality of the lives of the mining children
and the price they pay for the glamour, the glitter and the
development and growth that mining brings nothing will,
change.