Meghalaya: Coal miners continue hunger strike as government talks fail to break deadlock

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: Talks between state government officials and coal mine owners failed to yield a breakthrough on Wednesday, with the Jaintia Coal Owners, Miners, Suppliers and Workers Association (JCOMSWA) deciding to continue its ongoing indefinite hunger strike, deepening the standoff over unresolved issues affecting the coal mining sector. The agitation entered its 17th consecutive day after a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Shakil P. Ahamed ended without any final agreement on the association's key demands.

Despite the deadlock, the meeting resulted in several interim decisions. The government agreed to constitute a specialised Mining Committee comprising the Deputy Commissioner of East Jaintia Hills and representatives of JCOMSWA to draft a small-scale mining policy. It also agreed to temporarily suspend the transportation and import of coal from outside Meghalaya until retired Chief Justice B.P. Katakey visits East Jaintia Hills on June 29, 2026.

The state government further announced that financial assistance would be made available to affected individuals through the Meghalaya Environment Protection and Restoration Fund (MEPRF) and administered by the Deputy Commissioner's office. In addition, the government committed to initiating discussions with the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) on framing laws governing sub-surface minerals.

However, JCOMSWA leaders said the measures fell short of addressing their principal demands, as all substantive decisions have effectively been deferred until after Justice Katakey's visit. The association subsequently resolved to continue the hunger strike, stating that the core issues concerning coal mining remain unresolved.

Elaborating on the discussions, Wanshwa Nongtdu, speaking on behalf of JCOMSWA, said, "We presented all our agendas and submitted a memorandum to the government. The government agreed to form a Mining Committee comprising the Deputy Commissioner and JCOMSWA representatives to draft a small-scale mining policy."

Highlighting one of the major concerns raised during the meeting, Nongtdu said, "The government has allowed scientific mining, but the policy requires a minimum contiguous land area of 100 hectares. Local people do not have such large stretches of land. We have urged the government to reduce this requirement."

Jhanika Siangshai, a member of the organisation, expressed dissatisfaction over the outcome of the discussions, saying, "We are not satisfied with the outcome of the meeting. We will have a meeting with the members and discuss it."

Another member, Pyndap Shadap, said the association would continue its agitation despite the deteriorating health of its leadership. "Our President is unwell. We are continuing the hunger strike until we receive a satisfactory response from the state government," he said.

According to the association, officials from the Mining Department and the government's legal team were unable to provide any immediate decision on the proposals placed before them and maintained that further deliberations would have to await the visit of retired Chief Justice B.P. Katakey on June 29.

While the government informed the delegation that financially distressed individuals could seek assistance under the MEPRF, association members expressed disappointment over the absence of concrete assurances on most of the issues raised during the meeting.

JCOMSWA leaders argued that the 100-hectare requirement is incompatible with Meghalaya's unique topography, where miners often have to dig vertically between 100 and 200 metres to reach coal seams. They maintained that compliance with existing scientific mining norms would require investments running into crores of rupees, making the framework financially unviable for most local operators.

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