Silent destruction of Aravallis: The outrage over secret mining leases

On 20 November, the Supreme Court ordered the Government of India to not grant any new mining leases in the Aravalli hills. The government of India followed this up by issuing the same order on 24 December to the four Aravalli states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi and Gujarat.

However, despite the court order, the Rajasthan government granted new mining leases. This not only amounts to contempt of court but also a betrayal of the people of the country, a conspiracy, and a sin.

The Rajasthan government extensively publicised the order prohibiting the granting of new mining leases, yet between 2 and 18 December, it granted new leases for 20 mines in Alwar, seven in Kotputli, six each in Jaipur and Bhiwara, five in Sirohi,  two each in Tijara and Rajsamand, and one each in Dausa and Jhunjhunu.

Despite being bound by the court order, therefore, the Rajasthan government granted leases for 50 new mines in the Aravalli region without informing anyone. While the Supreme Court, in its subsequent decision, has placed a ban on any kind of mining lease before a management plan on sustainable mining is finalised, new leases are still being granted.

The 'Aravalli Heritage People's Campaign' now needs to expose the ongoing destruction of the Aravalli hills, the government conspiracy and the true situation of the region by visiting the sites and informing the public. The अरावली सिंहनाद (roar for Aravallis) will now begin.

Prohibiting the grant of new mining leases in the region is not the goal of the Aravalli Heritage People's Campaign. Our goal is to make the region mining-free and green. This will only be possible when the land of the hills is returned to the Aravallis. Only if the Government of India frees the Aravalli from mining, new urban expansion and corruption will the region receive its land back in the same condition as it is today.

The 20 November order defined the Aravalli Hills as landforms rising 100 metres or more above local relief, including their supporting slopes. This is a conspiracy to usurp the Aravalli land itself. First, changing its identity and destroying it, then allowing its land to become the property of a few industrialists, and then letting them do whatever they want, this is what it is all about.

The government must not have presented the records properly to the Supreme Court to obtain this decision. Why they didn't do so is understandable. But it is the court's duty to try to obtain all the records or to summon those who are working to save the Aravallis and hear their side as well.

The court did not do this before delivering this judgment. This same court has given dozens of judgments since 1990 to protect the Aravalli forests and wildlife. None of those judgments were considered this time round, nor was anyone summoned. I wasn't summoned either. I have been directly working for the protection and rejuvenation of the Aravallis since 1980. A major reason why the Aravallis still exists today is because we stopped mining here and returned the farmers' land to the farmers and reclaimed grazing land.

Today, the conspiracy to allow big industrialists to seize the Aravalli land is succeeding. The government and some large industrial houses are aiming to profit by building large safaris, cities, and mining industries on the land belonging to Aravalli tribes, indigenous people and farmers. This is clearly evident from this new order. Therefore, the Aravalli Heritage People's Campaign must now begin a yatra and a circumambulation of the entire hills to prepare for a movement. We must document everything through this.

When I undertook this hill circumambulation from 1990 to 1993, a total of 18 different groups travelled through the Aravallis in parts of Bharatpur, Dholpur, Sawai Madhopur, Bundi, Bhilwara, Phulwari ki Nal, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Mewar, Pali and Marwar, and all the groups met at Guru Shikhar, Mount Abu.

Following a conference here, a yatra was planned along the central route of the entire Aravalli range, which was called the ‘Roar of the Aravallis’. This journey aimed to enforce the Aravalli notification by directly stopping ongoing mining activities on the ground.

To truly understand the region, a direct ground-level journey through the Aravallis is necessary. It should be organised to connect the government and the judiciary with the people's power of the Aravallis. There is still time, and the farmers also have time. The media also seems interested in gathering knowledge about the Aravallis. This journey, which will reveal the truth about the Aravallis, requires the participation of five types of people:

• Those who understand the geology of the Aravallis

• Those who can find discrepancies in revenue records and old and new GT sheets and Google Sheets regarding the boundaries of the Aravallis

• People suffering the pain of the Aravallis, who can connect people's hearts, minds and hands to the Aravallis

• Media personnel

• Those who can connect with students and teachers of government institutions in the yatra area, organise programmes and connect elected representatives to the sufferings of the Aravalli

Those capable of uncovering the deceitful practices going on in all such places should also be part of the journey. For ease of logistics, the number of participants should not be too large. Local people should participate more to make the journey a success.

The objective of the journey is to ensure, through people's power, that the land of the Aravallis remains with the Aravallis, and by creating a favourable environment, the sense of belonging to the Aravallis is strengthened within the community.

It is time for the echo of the Aravallis to reach everyone's ears. The ‘roar’ should emanate from people’s hearts, minds, hands and mouths during the journey.

Water conservationist ‘Jalpurush’ Rajendra Singh won the Ramon Magsaysay award in 2001 and the Stockholm Water Prize in 2015. Translated from an essay in his new book Aravalli Par Naya Sankat