Assam: Rights group demands arrest of 19 coal mafias within 48 hours 

The International Human Rights Council (IHRC), Tinsukia District Committee, led by its General Secretary L. Ratan Singh, has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to authorities, demanding the arrest of 19 individuals accused of running illegal coal operations in Assam.

These individuals were named in a 2019 report submitted by the Assam Geology and Mining Department to the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police in Tinsukia. Despite the report, no action has been taken to date.  

The demand follows a mass exodus of thousands of migrant coal workers from Margherita and Ledo on Monday. Workers fled the region via intercity express trains after Assam’s Director General of Police, GP Singh, directed authorities to seal all illegal rat-hole mines in Margherita, Lekhapani, and Ledo within a week.  

Ratan Singh highlighted that the fleeing workers exposed the scale of the illegal coal trade that the IHRC has been flagging for years. He criticised the administration for its inaction, questioning why the 2019 investigation had been suppressed and whose interests were being protected.  

While recent efforts to shut down mining sites have been acknowledged, Singh and the IHRC insist that addressing illegal mining requires holding those orchestrating the operations accountable. The council warned that the failure to arrest the 19 individuals within the stipulated timeframe would only allow these activities to continue unchecked.

The IHRC called for swift and transparent action, emphasising that dismantling the illegal coal network is essential for restoring public trust and upholding the rule of law.