"Listen to that voice. My world is crumbling down," says Bihari Das as his voice drowns in shrill crescendo of dynamite explosions that brutally break the heritage hills. With people like Das, a priest at Sita Devi Temple in Charan Pahadi, baring their chest on mining in Krishna land and ensuring that the politicians don't have settled existence, the life is any more Hindutva-happy for the BJP.
The Krishna land, Braj bhoomi, is fast loosing its innocence and beauty of its Kunds and ghats in mining market place. The Braj spans across the Mathura district of UP, parts of Bharatpur district of Rajasthan and Faridabad district of Haryana. The Braj comprises of over 1300 villages, each of which has some or the other connected to Krishna - magical, mystical and playful of all gods.
The illegal mining for masonory stones and quarrying is mostly restricted to Bharatpur district of Rajasthan where the BJP runs the Government under chief ministership of Vasundara Raje Scindia. Most of the hills are considered to be demi-gods personified in hill forms. Nandishwar Parvat in Nandgaon is revered as Lord Shiva, the four hills in Barsana viz. Brahmanchal are considered to be the four heads of Lord Brahma. Giri Goverdhan is Lord Vishnu personified and the Ashtakoot hills in the district of Bharatpur are considered to be associated with the eight main sakhis of Radha Rani.
Besides there are other heritage spots like Phisalini Shila-natural slider over which Krishna used to slide with his friends, Bhojan Thali - naturally carved stone thalis in which Krishna and his friends used to have their packed lunch, caves of Jadkhor - where Krishna took shelter with his hundreds of cowherd friends, Saugandhini Shila - by touching this rock Krishna took a vow before Brajwasis that he will never ever leave Braj.
In Braj, the mining has contributed towards transformation from the sublime to slime. Even for those who think all mythology is mumbo-jumbo, Braj does not offer sumptuous visuals. Of more than 1000 kunds in the area, more than 80 per cent have been filled with silt. The mining in most of these hills is going on in full swing. The entire hill track is being defaced and being denuded of the rocks, vegetation and plantation and the loss already incurred is irreparable. "The loss inflicted cannot be compensated by any means and in our humble opinion such unwarranted interference with ecology deserves to be stopped.
The mining activities witnessed by us has compelled us to reach a conclusion that the miners have only one motive and i.e. as to how and in which manner they can accelerate their pace of profit earning at the cost of ecology, environment and total degradation of the existing flora and fauna, exploiting the natural resources brutally and insidiously," Rajasthan High Court said in an order dated May 18, 2004.
Rajasthan government says it is taking all the possible steps to close down illegal mines. "We have already deputed three engineers and as per their directions we have closed down 16 mines. Regular checking and campaign are going on," says Ashok Singhvi, the secretary, department of Mining, Government of Rajasthan.
In spite of court order and the Government promises the mining is going on playing different strokes with livelihood in the area. In spite of poor wages, poor working conditions and low wages, the employment is touted as sign of development. "Braj was one of the poorly-developed areas in the country. With the onset of mining, the people have started getting jobs. We have contributed about half of Bhratpur district's revenue in the form of mining licence fees, sales tax," says Gurbinder Singh, proprietor of Baburam Grit Udyog, operating in Pahadi Charan.
The hills of Braj have traditionally been the pasturelands for cattle. Even the pastoral communities from far off areas of western Rajasthan migrate towards Braj in search of fodder for their cattle. The scattering of mining waste and mines abandoned without any effort to replant trees have drained fodder for cattle and hit livelihood of people living in the area who earn from selling milk and milk products. "The areas lying close to mines are cannot be used for agricultural purposes. My entire crop of mustard was destroyed when it was carpeted with dust off the blasting units," Ashok Yadav, a local farmer.
"There were around 400 deer and peacocks living in the vicinity and all of them perished due to heavy mining activity. The Braj now wakes up to dynamite blasts not chirping birds," laments Raju Sharma, furniture businessman in Kama village.
Disillusionment over livelihood issues provoked by the mining has brought together Muslims and Hindus in the area. When local groups organized protests against mining, it was Muslim farmer Abdul Majeed who went first on hunger strike.
The mining lobby gets extensive support from the political parties as the politicians from both the BJP and the Congress engage in proxy mining. But protests in the area are waking up under Ramesh Baba who crusades for conservation and protection of the natural grandeur of Braj. Baba lives in the hills in the forest of Gahvarvan and comes down every evening for discourse on environment issues and Bhajans. He organises Radha Rani Braja Yatra with participation of Krishna devotees, environmentalists and conservationists across Braj and last yatra saw presence of over 5,000 people. "It is a vehicle for cultural, environmental and spiritual awakening," says Baba.
Organisations like Braj Rakshak Dal have chipped in as grass-root whistleblowers. Braj Rakshak Dal has restored over 16 major kunds like Gomati Ganga at Kosi, the Pawan Sarovar at Nandgaon and Vrishbhanu Kund and Dohni kund at Barsana. "We are currently working on an integrated Braj Development programme that will include restoration of all 1,000 kunds, revival of 48 groves, afforestation of hills as well as rejevenuation of yamuna.
"The mining activities in Braj area of Rajasthan exposes the hypocrisy of the BJP which portrays itself to be patron of Indian heritage and culture but refuses to conserve 5,000-year-old heritage," says Vineet Narain, a journalist and convenor of Braj Shakti Dal.
In spite of local protests, the round one has gone in favour of the Government and mining companies. With protests gaining momentum, the round two could well be another story.
