3 ms·

Question for those who know better: isn't the Indian coal industry rife with mafia activity, or is that all in the past?

idlecool 5y ago
My dad worked in coal India for around 3 decades, and I grew up in one of the townships. I have never heard of Mafia involvement. However, I have seen coal being stolen from moving trains that transport coal. They are mostly locals who probably sell it or use it themselves, but it doesn't account to much AFAIK.
- manishsharan 5y ago
  I really find it hard to believe that you have never heard of Mafia involvement in Cola mines of Bihar even though your dad worked in Coal India. However just because you did not hear of it does not mean it doesn't exist. There is a while section about this on Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia_Raj https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia_Raj And this : https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://businessworld.in/amp/article/CBI-searches-in-W-Bengal-Jharkhand-Bihar-UP-in-coal-mafia-scam/28-11-2020-347652&ved=2ahUKEwiWlKvwxdnxAhUkB50JHSVICtgQFjAGegQIJRAC&usg=AOvVaw2lhvkCuAe2Hdy_GZzx5diN&ampcf=1 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://... Also this : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suryadeo_Singh https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suryadeo_Singh There are also a bunch of Bollywood movies with Coal Mafia as a background. "Gunday", though not about coal Mafia, is pretty entertaining.
  - idlecool 5y ago
    Thanks for the info. I have never been to Bihar or know about the situation there. My dad mostly worked in SECL and WCL (2 of the 8 fully owned subsidiaries of Coal India). They don't have any mining operations in Bihar or surrounding areas. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Eastern_Coalfields https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Eastern_Coalfields [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Coalfields https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Coalfields
  - crucialfelix 5y ago
    Gangs of Wasseypur is a great film. ( In two parts )
  - manquer 5y ago
    It is more general corruption in Bihar than specific to coal mining itself perhaps
throwaway158497 5y ago
I am from a town called Kothagudem, where a coal mining company from south India is headquartered. Growing up (2o years ago) there was naxal activity around the coal mines but now it is a thing of the past. I can confidently say there is no mafia but corrpution is still big. Also, most underground mines are converted to above ground open cast mines, so there are associated health problems for us. Also, the temperatures in summer routinely hit 50 degree celsius, but most houses have no airconditioning. We just curse and exist in those temperatures.
- sumedh 5y ago
  > say there is no mafia but corrpution is still big. So the Mafia became politicians :)
  - throwaway158497 5y ago
    True that!

idlecool 5y ago

My dad worked in coal India for around 3 decades, and I grew up in one of the townships. I have never heard of Mafia involvement. However, I have seen coal being stolen from moving trains that transport coal. They are mostly locals who probably sell it or use it themselves, but it doesn't account to much AFAIK.

manishsharan 5y ago
I really find it hard to believe that you have never heard of Mafia involvement in Cola mines of Bihar even though your dad worked in Coal India. However just because you did not hear of it does not mean it doesn't exist. There is a while section about this on Wikipedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia_Raj https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mafia_Raj And this : https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://businessworld.in/amp/article/CBI-searches-in-W-Bengal-Jharkhand-Bihar-UP-in-coal-mafia-scam/28-11-2020-347652&ved=2ahUKEwiWlKvwxdnxAhUkB50JHSVICtgQFjAGegQIJRAC&usg=AOvVaw2lhvkCuAe2Hdy_GZzx5diN&ampcf=1 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://... Also this : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suryadeo_Singh https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suryadeo_Singh There are also a bunch of Bollywood movies with Coal Mafia as a background. "Gunday", though not about coal Mafia, is pretty entertaining.
- idlecool 5y ago
  Thanks for the info. I have never been to Bihar or know about the situation there. My dad mostly worked in SECL and WCL (2 of the 8 fully owned subsidiaries of Coal India). They don't have any mining operations in Bihar or surrounding areas. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Eastern_Coalfields https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Eastern_Coalfields [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Coalfields https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Coalfields
- crucialfelix 5y ago
  Gangs of Wasseypur is a great film. ( In two parts )
- manquer 5y ago
  It is more general corruption in Bihar than specific to coal mining itself perhaps

throwaway158497 5y ago

I am from a town called Kothagudem, where a coal mining company from south India is headquartered. Growing up (2o years ago) there was naxal activity around the coal mines but now it is a thing of the past. I can confidently say there is no mafia but corrpution is still big. Also, most underground mines are converted to above ground open cast mines, so there are associated health problems for us. Also, the temperatures in summer routinely hit 50 degree celsius, but most houses have no airconditioning. We just curse and exist in those temperatures.

sumedh 5y ago
> say there is no mafia but corrpution is still big. So the Mafia became politicians :)
- throwaway158497 5y ago
  True that!