On 17 February 2025, [thousands of indigenous people ](\“The displacement of our people is not an option. We will not allow our ancestral lands to be sacrificed for commercial mining. The government must respect our rights and put an end to this auction,\” declared an IPLLC representative. )from Longtom-I and II, Panchun, and Injan in Kharsang protested against the auction of the Namchik East and West coal mining projects.
The demonstration, organized by the Injan, Panchun, Longtom-I, and Longtom-II Committee (IPLLC), ended with a memorandum being submitted to the Chief Minister.
The Namchik East and West coal blocks, part of the Namchik-Namphuk coalfield, contain an estimated 45.802 million tonnes of coal across 600 hectares. The auction began on 3 February 2024 and ended on 3 March.
During the protest, demonstrators raised concerned over open-cast coal mining as it would displace about 3,000 residents from the Tangsa communities. They demanded the government to cancel the auction and end large-scale mining in these sensitive areas. They further accused the government of ignoring standard procedures by conducting the auction without consulting the affected communities or getting their consent. They claimed that the Union Ministry of Coal gave inaccurate information by not including the actual number of households that would be affected.
“The proposed open-cast coal mining project, covering approximately 600.07 hectares, is expected to directly impact thousands of residents. We fear this project will not only displace communities but also alter the region’s demographic and ecological balance in the long run,” said IPLLC President Semkhum Tonglim.
He pointed out that Longtom-I and II, established before India’s independence, are in an unclassified state forest and support over 160 households of more than 1,000 people. Tonglim also claimed that their displacement would violate the constitutional rights and the Forest Rights Act of 2006, and the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980.
Additionally, protesters accused the Geology and Mining Department of conducting exploratory activities in Namchik West from 2022 to 2023 without getting consent from local communities. This, they argued, violated the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which requires free and informed consent before starting commercial activities on indigenous land.
Protesters fear that open-cast coal mining could cause serious environmental damage, which can lead to deforestation, loss of farmland, and pollution of air and water. They argued that mining would harm local tea and areca nut plantations, paddy fields, and other forest resources.
As the government intend to go ahead with the plan, IPLLC is adamant to continue opposing the project.
On 8 April 2025, the Ministry of Coal signed Coal Mine Development and Production Agreements (CMDPAs) with PRA Nuravi Coal Mining Private Limited, which emerged as the successful bidder for Namchik West coalfield. The ministry highlighted that the block would create direct and indirect job opportunities, contributing to the socio-economic development of the region.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to cancel the project
Complaint against procedural violations
Opposition against environmental degradation
Refusal to give up land for the project
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Forest and Non-Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence, Residential area
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
No
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of environmental laws
Violation of free prior informed consent
Non-implementation/violation of FRA
Non-consultation with stakeholders
Lack of legal protection over land rights
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Ministry of Coal, Government of India; Directorate of Geology and Mining, Arunachal Pradesh; Office of the District Commissioner, Changlang
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Injan, Panchun, Longtom-I, and Longtom-II Committee (IPLLC)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
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