The Catholic Church favors more dialogue before the government takes any decision on uranium mining in the Christian dominated state, the prelate told media Oct. 28.
Thousands of people including groups of students, women and tribal organizations are opposing the project under the banner of Co-ordination Committee of Social Organisation (CCSO).
They protest Meghalaya government’s decision to allow the Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) to carry out pre-project development programs in 422 hectares of the uranium-rich areas.
The protestors say the project in uranium-rich areas of West Khasi Hills district in southern Meghalaya would alienate their precious land and displace thousands.
But Government looks adamant. “The uranium reserves in Meghalaya are a national property and no one can stop the government from using them,” Chief Minister D. D. Lapang told reporters.
“The government has waited for 20 long years to persuade people to allow uranium mining,” he pointed out.
But Archbishop Jala said “whether it is forest resources or any other resources serious consideration for humans is the most important thing.”
Pointing out that civilizations were lost because protection of human lives was put on the backburner in favor of development, the prelate said stressing the “need to defend the gifts of creation to protect humankind from self-destruction.”
“The Government should also stand by moral values and have an honest debate whether there is transparency and justice to everyone,” he observed.
However, he said the Church would not directly resort to agitation against the project, when told Coordination Committee of Social Organizations (CCSO) has plans to rope in religious leaders in their strike programs.
On Oct. 29, the Khasi Students Union (KSU), a prominent part of CCSO, temporarily suspended its road blockade after the government invited it for talks, officials said.
The KSU was to begin its third phase of a night road blockade Oct. 29 to protest proposed uranium mining in the West Khasi Hills district in the southern part of the state.
Chief Minister Lapang Oct. 28 said the government would hold discussions with protestors Nov 3.
The KSU’s three-phase road blockade started Oct 14 to protest the project. It some times turned violent and blocked passenger buses and goods-laden trucks on the national highways between Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.
The federal government has already allowed UCIL to start mining for the annual production of 375,000 tonnes of uranium ore and process 1,500 tonnes of the mineral ore per day in the district.
UCIL has proposed a Rs.1,046 crore open-cast uranium mining and processing plant. Meghalaya has an estimated 9.22 million tonnes of uranium ore deposits.