Mafia rule in Nellore mines

• Murder, rape, inhuman conditions prevail; villagers live in fear
• In the last 10 years, at least one person was killed every year. Most recent killing was on February 22 of P Rangaiah who raised his voice against illegal mining
• Leases of 15 mines and quarries out of the 31 in Sydapuram mandal in Gudur division lapsed in 2001 but they still continue functioning
• Landlords and mine owners are in possession of 400 and 76 acres of government land respectively

Hyderabad: E Padma, a close relative of P Rajaiah (president, All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha) who was killed on February 22 by the mining mafia in Tumallatallapur village, braved all odds and reached Hyderabad for the 6th general body meeting of Progressive Organisation for Women (POW).

She was threatened that she too would be killed if she attended the meeting. However, hundreds of women not just from Nellore but from several tribal areas reached here to raise their voice against atrocities on women.

Mining has been going on in Sydapuram mandal in Nellore for the last 50 years and there are about 500 dalits working in the 31 mines and quarries. Low wages, 12-14 hours of work, rapes and inhuman conditions prevail in the mines.

R Seshamma was removed from her job when she attended the Grama Sabha meeting. She says, “In the presence of the sarpanch, RDO and MRO a vote was conducted. Out of the 346 voters, 211 voted against the mines. We have been fighting for one acre of land which is rightfully ours. But the moment the mine owner came to know of our participation in the meeting six workers were removed from jobs.” Mine owners have been continuing operations citing a rule that before the lapse of the lease if an application is made they could continue operations.

C S Sagar of CPI ML (new democracy) says that the lease period got over more than a decade ago but mining still continues. A majority of the workers belong to the Yanadi caste and have been fighting for land, but whenever they revolt the workers are subjugated to violence, rape and the men are mercilessly killed by the mining mafia.

On contacting the manager, Ismail of Sri Kanakadurga & Umamaheshwari mica mine about the lapse of lease and removal of workers he said that as per the government rule after applying for an extension, the mine could continue functioning. And on the question of removing the workers, he feigned ignorance.

More than 50 per cent of the mines and quarries in the region have been illegally functioning in spite of their leases lapsing in 2001. C Venkateshwarulu, state committee leader, CPI-ML (New Democracy) says, “There is a nexus between landlords and mine owners and they have been quelling any revolt by the workers who are predominantly Dalits. The landlords are in possession of 400 acres of government land.”

Mining is taking place illegally in more than 76 acres under survey numbers 213, 214, 215, 672, and 673. According to Manda Padmamma, who was removed from work, says, “We lost many close friends and relatives to atrocities by mine owners and landlords. We live in perpetual fear. In spite of the government assurance that the mining would be stopped and the landless would be given an acre each, nothing is happening.”

In a recent meeting Nellore collector N Srikanth, Venkateshwara Reddy, Mining AD and other government officials agreed that the lease period for mining lapsed in 2001 and that land for the landless poor would be distributed, say women workers-turned-activists.