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Jammu and Kashmir lithium reserves

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Jammu and Kashmir has one of the largest known lithium reserves in the world.[1] On 13 February 2023, the Government of India's Ministry of Mines announced that the Geological Survey of India had discovered 5.9 million tonnes lithium ore,[2] [3] in the Himalayan foothills at Salal-Haimana, Reasi in the near vicinity of Bhimgarh castle, built by legendary Indian general Zorawar Singh as his residence. The single finding alone ranked it at the time as 7th largest known reserve in the world.[4] Jammuite lithium is high grade 500 ppm. Standard values of the element's concentration for commercially viable mining operations range from 100 to 200 ppm.[5]

Stalled Auction

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On 2 May 2024, Ministry of Mines secretary Vivek Bharadwaj announced that an auction to assign mining rights was planned on priority basis by December 2024.[6] Former minister and JKNPP president Harsh Dev Singh, challenged the legal premise, upon which the federal government planned to assign mineral rights valued at US$500 billion (half a trillion dollars).[7] On 29 May 2023, Harsh Dev, alongside Ankit Love, in a televised press conference[8] stated that in accordance to Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957, only a federated state or union territory government had the lawful right to hold auctions and assign mining concessions for minerals found on land.[9] Regrettably, Jammu and Kashmir had no democratically elected state legislature, which had been dismissed by decree under prime minister Modi, imposing president's rule, mobile internet ban and a martial curfew on Jammu and Kashmir in July 2019.[10]

The JKNPP leaders accused the Indian government of attempting an autocratic theft of mineral resources belonging to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. They demanded that any auction for the lithium be delayed till after democratic elections were held in the state, which the central government had unconstitutionally delayed for over 3 years.[11] On 13 May, JKNPP leaders had filed a plea in the Supreme Court of India against the Election Commission of India, to restore the democratic process,[12] and previously numerous high profile elected officials had been placed under house arrest at the time, including former minister Harsh Dev, who was detained by the police at his residence for over 2 months.[13]

Following the campaign by JKNPP, in December 2023, the first attempt to auction Jammu and Kashmir lithium failed. As the auction only received two bids, as per legislation a minimum of three bids is required for the auction to be considered valid.[14][15]

In March 2024 the Election Commission of India, suddenly froze the name and symbol of the Panthers Party,[16] prior to the April 2024 Indian general election. Thereby preventing the Panthers from using their 4 decade old bicycle symbol by which people in the remote mountain villages recognise the party on ballots in the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, adjacent to the lithium find, which the party had previously won in 1988.

In July 2024 a second attempt by the central Indian government of auction Jammu and Kashmir's lithium failed to receive any bids.[17]

Security Concerns

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The BJP central government in order to address the 77 years of Kashmir conflict and insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, which was resultant in over 100,000 war orphans,[18] in August 2019 had passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act 2019, which revoked Article 370 that granted a special autonomous status and constitution to Jammu and Kashmir.

The central Indian government had imposed a strict martial curfew on Kashmir, including the suspension of internet services during the 2019–2021 Jammu and Kashmir lockdown. After dismissing the elected state government, Election Commission of India redrew the electoral map and in a process of delimitation changed the constituency boundaries and regulations. Lithium rich Reasi district was moved out of Udhampur parliamentary constituency[19] which was won by JKNPP founder Bhim Singh prior, the great grandson of General Zorawar Singh. Further, Harsh Dev Singh was barred from being able to stand election again in the near by Ramnagar constituency, where he had previously been elected as MLA for 18 years continuously, as it had been reserved for candidates from lower caste backgrounds.[20]

Husband and wife pair Bhim Singh and Jay Mala who were founders of the JKNPP and seminal advocates of the Supreme Court of India, died suddenly and in mysterious circumstances prior to the attempted lithium auction. Their only child, Ankit Love was blacklisted from entering India in order to attend his mother's funeral.[21][22][23] After days of drama in the national news, Ankit Love had the ban uplifted by the government,[24] and arrived from London to Jammu, to authorise a post-mortem on the body on 5 May 2023 at Government Medical College Jammu, and a police investigation opened into Jay Mala’s alleged murder.[25][26][27] The post-mortem results were released to police on 16 August 2023, however unconventionally the police refused to declassify the results of the post-mortem with the bereaved family members, despite protests demanding such by the JKNPP, the political party founded by Jay Mala.[28]

On 19 February 2023, a couple months prior to her death, the government revoked Jay Mala's secure accommodation and Z-security cover that had been allocated to her husband to reside for over 20 years.[29] On 1 March 2023, less than a month prior to her death, Jay Mala was published in the news stating that she felt that there was a plot to assassinate her, after she had publicly blamed government agents ultimately being behind her husband's death.[30]

On 19 July 2023, at the Senior Superintendent of Police’s office in Jammu, hundreds of Panthers Party protesters led by former cabinet minister Harsh Dev Singh demanded arrest of those accused of assassinating Jay Mala, as well as stealing money from her accounts and burning down a property belonging to her husband.[31] Love has accused agents of the BJP of assassinating his mother.[32][33][34] Love later contested a string of UK parliamentary by-elections including the February 2024 Wellingborough by-election in order to raise international awareness of his mother's non-disclosed post-mortem report.[35]

On 16 August 2024, the Election Commission of India finally announced that Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Elections will be held, by order of the Supreme Court of India following a plea by the Panthers Party, and after a gap of 10 years, from mid September 2024.

References

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  1. ^ Pahwa, Nitish (2023-02-28). "One of the World's Most Dangerous Places Is About to Have One of Its Most Important Mines". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  2. ^ "Jammu and Kashmir: India's first big lithium find boosts electric car hopes". BBC News. 2023-02-10. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  3. ^ Jones, Florence (2023-02-13). "India announces discovery of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium". Mining Technology. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  4. ^ "Implications of lithium reserves in Jammu and Kashmir". orfonline.org. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  5. ^ Rapier, Robert. "A Peek At The Efforts Of Two American Lithium Companies". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-06-17. In the U.S., the typical concentration in a brine may be 100 to 200 ppm of lithium
  6. ^ ANI (2023-05-02). "India to auction lithium reserves found in Jammu and Kashmir by December: Mines secretary". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  7. ^ "People of J&K have exclusive right over lithium reserves: JKNPP president Harsh Dev Singh". The Times of India. 2023-05-29. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  8. ^ Reasi के Lithium भंडारों से जम्मू कश्मीर की हो सकती है कायाकल्प: Harsh Dev | Reasi के Lithium भंडारों से जम्मू कश्मीर की हो सकती है कायाकल्प: Harsh Dev | By JK ChannelFacebook. Retrieved 2024-06-17 – via www.facebook.com.
  9. ^ "Centre attempting to usurp J&K lithium resources: Harsh Dev". Daily Excelsior. 30 May 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2024. "The Centre's move, as evident from the Mining Secretary's statement is therefore not only unprecedented and violative of existing laws but is also an attempt to invade into the arena of the State Government,"
  10. ^ "Cabinet approves extension of President's Rule in J&K for six months with effect from 3rd July, 2019". PMINDIA. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Centre accused of attempting to usurp Lithium resources worth Rs 40 lakh crores - Early Times Newspaper Jammu Kashmir". www.earlytimes.in. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  12. ^ Dar, Moshin (13 May 2024). "J&K Panthers Party leaders move Supreme Court seeking directions to ECI to hold assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir". Bar and Bench. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  13. ^ "JKNPP leader says made to remain at home by cops". The Indian Express. 2019-12-07. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
  14. ^ "Jammu and Kashmir lithium blocks to be auctioned again in third tranche". Business Today. 2024-03-22. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  15. ^ "Government to re-auction Jammu and Kashmir lithium blocks: Report". India Today. 2024-03-22. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  16. ^ "ECI restrains JKNPP factions from using party name, symbol". Daily Excelsior. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
  17. ^ "J&K lithium block fails to secure bids in 2nd attempt as well: Report". Business Standard. 3 July 2024.
  18. ^ "Kashmir". Orphans in Need. 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  19. ^ "16.23 lakh electorates to decide fate of Union Minister, ex MP, Minister". Daily Excelsior. 2024-04-18. Retrieved 2024-06-18. Reasi district with four Assembly constituencies which was earlier part of Udhampur-Doda seat has been excluded from the segment and is now part of Jammu constituency.
  20. ^ "J&K: Delimitation Commission Proposes Sweeping Changes to Electoral Map". The Wire. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  21. ^ JKNPP supremo Bhim Singh's son urges Home Ministry to allow him visit India to cremate deceased mother
  22. ^ "Mother in mortuary, apology to PM Modi is the last resort". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  23. ^ PTI (2023-05-07). "Blacklisted after London protest, JKNPP founder's son apologises to PM; seeks visa for mom's funeral". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  24. ^ "JKNPP founder's son removed from blacklist, gets visa to attend mother's funeral". India Today. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  25. ^ Manhotra, Dinesh (2023-05-13). "Tussle among Panthers Party leaders: Bhim Singh's family members washing dirty linen in public [details]". www.ibtimes.co.in. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  26. ^ "Panthers Bickerings, Bhim Singh's Son Sacks Party President". Kashmir Life. 2023-05-18. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  27. ^ "Panthers Party leader Ankit Love alleges parents Bhim Singh & Jay Mala were killed; demands probe". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  28. ^ #JK UT #LG govt jk #Jai mala #jammutimes | By JAMMU TIMES | Facebook, retrieved 2024-01-18
  29. ^ "JKNPP office sealed in Jammu". Greater Kashmir. 2023-02-20. Retrieved 2024-09-29.
  30. ^ "Ankit Love requests PM Modi to launch inquiry into Prof. Bhim Singh's death". The Dispatch. 2023-03-02. Retrieved 2024-09-29. Jay Mala was often deeply concerned and told Love that there was a certain plot to assassinate her too, and that she may not survive for much longer.
  31. ^ "Bhim Singh's hut torched, land usurped, Mala's bank account looted: Harsh Dev". risingkashmir.com. 19 July 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
  32. ^ Raina, Muzaffar (19 May 2023). "Late Jammu politician Bhim Singh's son alleges mother's murder, names BJP leaders". The Telegraph India.
  33. ^ "Ankit Love requests PM Modi to launch inquiry into Prof. Bhim Singh's death". The Dispatch. 2023-03-02. Retrieved 2024-08-26. Prof. Bhim Singh's widow Jay Mala appeared to television alleging foul play in the death of Prof. Bhim Singh. Especially as a post-mortem was not offered... Jay Mala was often deeply concerned and told Love that there was a certain plot to assassinate her too, and that she may not survive for much longer.
  34. ^ "Ankit Love interview on JK Media by Asish Kohli". JK Media via Facebook. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  35. ^ "The candidates set for Wellingborough by-election". BBC News. 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-08-26. He said he wanted to use his candidacy to draw attention to the deaths of his parents who founded a political party in India.
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