A new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) accuses the Indian government of “encouraging lawlessness by failing to enforce the law or even monitor[ing] whether mine operators are complying with it.”
Although, according to the Report, Indian law does include core human rights protections, much of the responsibility for enforcing these lies with the Ministry of Environment and Forests. And it is failing to do so.
Controversially, Human Rights Watch appears to welcome India’s proposed new Mining Bill, claiming that the system “falls down…in the implementation stage”. However, a number of critics have pointed out that the proposed legislation represents major threats to mining-impacted communities around the country, and must be scrapped.
Among UK listed mining companies involved in India are Vedanta, Essar and Rio Tinto. South Korean steel company POSCO, which enjoys significant finance from London, is also active in India.
See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11761.