Meghalaya activist group slams government's 'secretive' climate law proposal

A proposed climate emergency law in Meghalaya has drawn sharp criticism from a local activist group, highlighting concerns over government transparency and environmental policy-making.

The Thma U Rangli-Juki (TUR), a grassroots organisation in Meghalaya, has condemned the state government's approach to developing the new climate legislation. Their criticism centres on what they describe as a "secretive, non-transparent nature of law-making" in the state.

TUR leader Angela Rangad stated, "Climate change and green growth cannot be addressed by law and policy that is consultant-driven and top-down and that is devoid of pre-legislative consultation."

The group's rebuke comes in response to a recent meeting of the Meghalaya State Council on Climate Change and Sustainable Development, chaired by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma. During this session, the council reviewed the "Meghalaya Climate Emergency and Green Growth Framework" and proposed a new climate emergency law.

TUR has accused the government of misusing the global climate crisis narrative to mask ongoing environmental degradation in the state. "The real emergency the state is facing is illegal coal mining, indiscriminate hill cutting and deforestation, unabated extraction and sale of minor minerals such as stone and sand in the interest of satiating the greed of a few," TUR declared in a statement.

The group is demanding extensive pre-legislative consultations for any proposed laws, including the climate emergency legislation. They insist that such consultations must involve all stakeholders, with particular emphasis on district councils and traditional institutions.

Furthermore, TUR is calling for full transparency regarding the methodology used to develop the climate emergency framework. "It is mandatory for public disclosure to such an important policy as it concerns our tribal rights to land, forest, water," the group asserted.

In addition to their demands for transparency in the law-making process, TUR is pushing for accountability on past environmental initiatives. They have challenged Chief Minister Sangma to provide updates on a 2019 project that aimed to plant 1.5 million trees, as well as previous investments in catchment area conservation and spring protection.