Pressure is mounting on the Assam government to make public the judicial enquiry report into the Umrangso coal mine tragedy, over six months after nine workers died in a flooded illegal mine in Dima Hasao district.

The incident, which occurred on January 6, 2025, triggered a massive 44-day operation involving the Indian Navy and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). All nine bodies were eventually recovered by February 19.

Following the tragedy, the state government had set up a judicial commission led by retired Gauhati High Court judge Justice Anima Hazarika. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had assured that the commission would submit its report within three months. However, six months later, the findings remain under wraps, sparking fresh outrage among rights groups and locals.

Daniel Langthasa, convenor of the Sixth Schedule Protection Committee and a former member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC), lashed out at the government for the delay.

“The commission was given three months. Six months have passed, but the government has not shared the report. There is no update, and those responsible for the illegal mining that caused this tragedy are yet to be punished,” he said.

Despite a 2014 ban by the National Green Tribunal, rat-hole mining – a hazardous and outdated method – continues unchecked across Umrangso.

A post-tragedy survey found at least 220 illegal rat-hole coal mines operating in the area. Langthasa questioned the role of the BJP-ruled NCHAC, asking, “How could the council be unaware of 220 mines? This is blatant negligence, if not complicity.”

So far, only one person – Punish Nunisa – has been arrested in the case, but activists fear he is being made a scapegoat. They allege a larger, more powerful network of illegal mining operators remains untouched.

While the Chief Minister had earlier announced that all illegal mines would be identified and shut down with help from central agencies, locals say little has changed on the ground. “There is no visible action. Illegal mining continues. The government must act,” Langthasa said.

He also linked the illegal mining ecosystem to broader law and order issues in the insurgency-hit district. Pointing to a rise in kidnappings, mysterious deaths and drug abuse, he accused the NCHAC of failing to protect tribal land and allowing the quiet transfer of protected land to private coke plant operators without village council approval.

Calling the situation a “social crisis,” Langthasa warned of long-term consequences. “People commit crimes when they lose hope in those in power,” he said, urging the government to make the commission’s report public, punish those responsible, and ensure justice for the families of the victims.

– Ends