Kolar Gold Mines A Short History Of Gold Mining And Its Socio-Economic Impact

2017·9.8 MB·English

by  ಡಾ. ಎಂ. ವೆಂಕಟಸ್ವಾಮಿ

KOLAR GOLD MINES
A short history of gold mining and its socio-economic impact
Dr. M. VENKATASWAMY
English translation of the author’s book in Kannada
Kolara Chinnada Ganigalu by
Dr. H.S.M. Prakash

Kolar Gold Mines
A Short History of Gold Mining and
its Socio-economic Impact
Dr. M. Venkataswamy
English translation of the author’s thesis in Kannada
'Kolara Chinnada Ganigalu
by
Dr. H.S.M. Prakash
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF INDIA
BENGALURU
2017
Kolar Gold Mines - A Short History of Gold Mining
and its Socio-economic Impact
by Dr. M. Venkatswamy
English translation of the author’s thesis in Kannada
'Kolara Chinnada Ganigalu
’
by Dr. H.S.M. Prakash
Published by the Geological Society of India,
No.63, 12th Cross, Gavipuram, Bengaluru - 560 019
Pages: xx+178
Price: Rs. 500
ISBN: 978-93-80998-33-6
Copyright 2017, Geological Society of India
Printed by Offset Process by
M. Nagaraju
Driti Enterprises
#117/19, Cauverynagar Main Road
Cauverynagar, B.S.K. Ill Stage
Bengaluru - 560 085
This book is dedicated to
The mining workers of five to six generations who toiled
with their lives in the dark tunnels of the mines of the KGF
to produce the yellow metal.
To my beloved Prof. G.H. Sawkar, retired principal. First
Grade College, KGF
To my late parents and my aunt Late Smt Chinnapapamma
and uncle Late Sri P. Nagabhusanam (Revenue Inspector)
who brought me up.
IV
Foreword
Gold and other precious minerals have always played an important role in war
and peace. Kautilya was aware of their importance as he declared long ago that ‘Mines
were the very source from which springs all temporal power for the strength of Govt,
and the Earth’. There is no change in this perception and the search for minerals and
their exploitation continue till all minerals are totally exhausted or substitutes are
found. The lure for yellow metal and other industrial minerals led to invasions and
colonial occupation of Asia, Africa, Australia and Americas in the wake brought about
extensive colonization and exploitation of their natural resources by European
countries. This led to division of societies, creation of artificial state boundaries and
ruthless exploitation of indigenous people by colonial masters.
In the quest for mineral resources, the focus, however, is mainly on exploration,
exploitation and deriving maximum profit. Though, the legitimacy of this cannot be
questioned. We cannot overlook or minimise the safety, health, welfare and aspirations
of workers who toil in the most difficult conditions for earning a paltry sum, and also
the welfare and prosperity of the permanent inhabitants of the land and the impact on
the environment of the mineral district. Many times the needs of the workers received
secondary importance, with their environment severely damaged, the habitats and
heritage of the indigenous people ravaged and their socio-economic conditions
suffering upheavals.
In the past, the mine workers faced extreme hardship and neglect which amounted
to gross violation of their human rights. Very rarely geologists and mining engineers
of foreign and national companies thought it fit to record the hardships and sufferings
aced by mine workers. They were never treated as partners in winning the precious
me a s tspersed in the rocks buried deep in the bowels of the Earth. The workers
were always looked upon as tools for exploitation. The people in the lower strata of
soetety, economically weak, socially neglected were recruited from anywhere hey
were available by force and enttcemen, for dotng the rock breaking in grea depths
nd dark tunnels to recover the shining yellow metal. These eompantefhlveXe.r
t prints m most of the continents. The living conditions of mine workers particularlv
and it was also intended to create wealth f 8 . * h e from countryside
VI
caused environmental degradation and misery to indigenous people. In India, the
Kolar Gold Mining passed through the same cycle of exploitation and Dr. M.
Venkataswamy, formerly a Deputy Director General of the Geological Survey of
India, who hails from the KGF, has recorded this history of the Kolar Gold Mines and
the socio-economic impact of mining on the people who were engaged in mining in
considerable detail. Dr. Venkataswamy, who had his education up to graduate level
in KGF, was encouraged by his revered teacher Prof. G.H. Sawkar, Retired Principal
of the First Grade College, KGF to record his study in the Kolar Gold Mines area in
the form of a D.Lit thesis. That proved a catalyst and finally culminated in the form
of a book which is based on his D.Lit thesis in Kannada, which has been ably translated
into English by Dr. Fl.S.M. Prakash, Deputy Director General, Geological Survey of
India, an erudite scholar and an able translator.
Every mine has its own developmental history but the Kolar Gold Mines have a
unique history among the oldest and also the deepest mines of India and at one time
it was the second deepest mine in the world. This has been effectively brought out in
the book (Part One). The gold extracted from ancient mines in this area was used by
the Harappan women to adorn themselves with a variety of gold ornaments. Gold is
also entwined with the cultural more of Indian society. As there was no other known
ancient gold mining activity excepting Hutti Gold Mine of Raichur Dist. also in
Karnataka, it is attributed that gold from many ancient mines of the KGF and Hutti
had reached Harappa.
Dr. Venkataswamy, besides recording the history of the gold mining from the
earliest time has made a bold attempt to record the events of socio-economic changes
in the lives of the mining workers and their families in his book (Part two) on Kolar
Gold Mines. He not only belongs to the land of Kolar Gold Fields but hails from the
lineage of workers as his grandfather and uncle had worked in the Bisanattam Gold
Mines, in those days without any facility and under harsh conditions that prevailed at
that time. He could feel the pulse and pain of the miners whom he was watching
going down the shafts and working in the dark tunnels before emerging out beyond
the sunset, and pass the night with their families in the crammed one room tenements
provided by the mining company. Thus the book is special and authentic because it is
penned by a writer who has watched the ebb and flow in the destiny of the gold
mines, workers and their families.
The manuscript of the book was submitted to the Geological Society of India
sometime in 2011. After a preliminary review it was returned to the author for
modification. I have read his book in Kannada titled ‘ Kolara Chinnada Ganigcilu
and also its English translation and felt the need for some editing, additions and