Rahul Gandhi faces questions about Hasdeo Forest at Cambridge University.
Dispatch News.
The issue of coal mining in the Hasdeo forest, spread over the Surguja, Surajpur and Korba districts of Chhattisgarh, has been raised at Cambridge University in London. The student, who reached there, questioned Rahul Gandhi about it.
Rahul Gandhi is in London for the last four days. He has come there to participate in the dialogue organized at Cambridge University. On Monday evening, he interacted with students at the “India@75” event organized at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge University. Most of these students were of Indian origin.
Students associated with XR Youth Cambridge asked Rahul that in 2015 you had told the tribals in the Hasdeo Aranya area that they would stand with them to protect their rights and against coal mining. Now that there is a Congress government in Chhattisgarh, why did the government permit deforestation and expansion of mines? In response, Rahul Gandhi said they are discussing the issue within the party. Soon the result will come out.
The resentment against mining activities in Hasdeo is increasing across the state. Many organizations are opposing it from different forums. Almost every day there are demonstrations somewhere in protest against this. People of villages affected by the Parsa coal block have been sitting on a dharna for about three months. At the same time, the villagers are roaming in the forests guarding the trees. Cases related to this are also going on in various courts.
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan government has increased the pressure to start mining. On Tuesday, RK Sharma, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam, met Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain. He sought the administration’s help in starting mining at the earliest. The Parsa Kete Basan mine, he said, has only coal till the first week of June. If other mines are not started soon, their thermal power plants will get shut down. He had also met the Collector-SP of Surguja and Surajpur on Monday.
The question of Hasdev Jungle raised in Cambridge University: Rahul Gandhi said – they are talking about it within the party
