On the uranium trail in Meghalaya's forests

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As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President George Bush finalise an agreement for civil nuclear cooperation far away in a tiny corner in India- the source of nuclear energy has the tiny state of Meghalaya burning. Nearly 900 million tones of uranium are to be extracted from Meghalayas forests. And I am on the uranium trail to find out just why this yellow stone has the people of Meghalaya up in arms. For three months now members of the Khasi students Union ( KSU) has called for a bandh and a road blockade in protest against a uranium mining project. And an otherwise peaceful Meghalaya has been burning.

With our camera and equipment on our shoulders we start our trek through the forest to ground zero- to find out just why people are opposed to uranium mining. The uranium site in West Khasi hills district is not easily accessible. We go with the civil engineer from the district council- a government officer who is in charge of the construction of the road to the uranium site. We are a motley group- my cameraperson, me and the engineer with one country rifle flung over our shoulders to protect us- says the engineer from wild animals. It takes us 5 hours to drive from Shillong to the village Domisiat which is where the tarred road ends.

After that starts our trek through the forest on foot. We walk through boulders and sand and thousands of trees that have been cut to make way for the road. I am drowned out by the sound of insects, an indicator of the biodiversity that must have been here. As we trek through the forest we stop for some water from a stream- trickling down from the uranium source. Local people from Domisiat village have joined us. They are keen to show us that the uranium poses no danger. So they drink from the stream and exclaim- see uranium water but no danger’.

I am sweating now and quite fatigued. With no food since the morning the jungle trek is becoming tougher. I am egged on by the engineer. Hes keen to show us that uranium is safe and how badly the local people want it. And 10 metres ahead is the site we have been waiting for. As we walk through the forest clearing- we expect something grand. No signboards just one big cement platform with barbed wire around it. It’s the waste from the exploratory surveys done by Atomic Energy Department in the 90s. It is these surveys which led to the discovery of uranium in Meghalaya. And once the environment clearances are through the Uranium Corporation India Limited will start on the mining of uranium from these forests.

At the site people from Nongbah Jynrin village have joined us. Some start picking the stones in their hand, others are licking it. It’s a desparate act to show to this media team that they are in favour of the project. But there are opponents as well. Some distance away we meet Kongspillety- an 80 year old khasi woman. She has been vehemently opposing the project. Uranium mining is known to be hazardous and radioactive wastes can cause fatal diseases like lung cancer.

Kongspillety knows she is aged and will die soon. She whispers to me - \'it is my grandchildren I fear for\'.

Elsewhere in Jadugoda in Jharkhand local women allege that miscarriages, still births and health problems became common ever since uranium mining was initiated here. The people of Meghalaya fear the same will happen here.

And that is how the battle lines are drawn. Outside of this quiet village, in the government offices in Shillong papers have already been signed in which the government has given their nod to the project. I hold the uranium stone in my hand one last time before we set back through the forest.

As we drive back- An irrational fear grips me- Have I also exposed myself to radioactive material? My entire body is itching and fatigued from our jungle trek I collapse into a deep slumber -as our jeep makes its way back to Shillong. When I wake up I am sweating with fear- everyone else in the car is singing aloud to keep themselves awake. Half drowsy I join in, in the singing - How many roads must a man walk on before he runs to the sea. It seems like an apt song on my return from the uranium trail.

Next day we are at the Secretariat- where five women of the ‘Synjuk Ki Seng Longkmie or the \'Mothers Union\' are courting arrest to protest against the arrest of the 15 men- members of the Khasi students Union ( KSU). It’s the KSU that has been leading the protest against uranium mining. As the women arrive outside the secretariat where heavy security has been deployed I am expecting shouting , screaming and loud protests Instead arrive the women - gentle, and soft spoken. When I start interviewing them – one of them Wandana just clasps my hand - \'please help our people, we are fearing the worst\'. I remain silent. As a journalist you are expected to be unbiased but sometimes its difficult to just be diffident.

On our last day we meet the Chief Minister. Hes in a hurry but we try getting a soundbite from him. I ask the CM if the state government is violating human rights ? Before he can give an answer I have mine. Two of his bodyguards swoop on us - one shoves my cameraperson aside, another digs his elbow so hard in my ribs that I feel the wind has been knocked out of me. In this chaos the Chief Minister has driven away.

My hands are shaking by now - we check our footage. Thankfully we have everything on camera. But it is enough to scare anyone. I am left wondering - if as a mediaperson I am feeling intimidated then how must an ordinary person feel? Is democracy functioning at its best in Meghalaya? Or is there a reign of terror?

As I board my flight back to Delhi I have more questions in my head than answers. People of Meghalaya who are excited about uranium mining are expecting development and jobs and money. The question is: why should it take uranium mining for the government to invest in roads, hospitals and jobs in backward areas? Should development of infrastructure happen only when a company is setting up a multi-crore project. Or do all citizens across India deserve access to primary health care , roads and schools irrespective of how many corporates are setting up factories in their district. And national interest is valid- but how many people in Delhi would like to have their children growing up in a backyard that has radioactive waste?