Send message to Author

Paper short abstract:

The paper argues that transition minerals will remain an old wine of displacement and impoverishment in a new bottle of “greenwashing” for transition minerals of solar and wind energy; unless the knowledge, opinions and interests of the most vulnerable communities are accounted for and included.

Paper long abstract:

As the world transitions toward greener energy sources, there is an increasing focus on rare earth minerals, such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt, which are deemed essential for developing sustainable technologies. However, the challenges of open-cast mining, displacement of affected communities, and pollution from mining and mineral transport remains a continued crisis even with these transition minerals. Using Jharkhand as a case study, the paper highlights the continued crisis of resource curse among the indigenous communities even with transition minerals. The case of the first uranium mining in Jaduguda, Jharkhand and the genetic deformities that has followed even after years of the mines closure speaks of the risks to the communities. Even when the Task Force-Sustainable Just Transition speaks of revolutionising the energy sector with green fuels; the participation and consultation of the most immediate and affected communities remains excluded from the decision-making process. The paper argues that unless the transition to alternate forms of energy is radically formed on inclusion and participation of communities; the energy transition journey remains unjust. This paper draws on primary data collected through a year-long ethnographic village study conducted in 2024 across Tamar, Jharkhand, and other mine-affected villages in Hazaribag, Dumka, Godda, and Chaibasa. Complementing this fieldwork, government reports—particularly those from the Ministry of Mines—were utilised to map mining sites and provide critical contextual data geographically. Despite the shift towards solar or wind energy, the requirement of raw materials, processing units and most importantly distribution is an administrative, policy, and developmental challenge.