NEW DELHI NOV. 1. Even as the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, opened the 19th World Mining Congress and Expo here this morning, a group of environmentalists described it as a move to "plunder the natural resources of the country'' and pointed to the struggles being waged against existing and proposed mining projects.

Coming together under the banner of `Mines, Minerals and People', the voluntary groups opposed the exploitation of resources, and destruction of forests, particularly by multinational companies.

The speakers said tribals across the country had offered stiff resistance to bauxite mining companies such as Alcan of Canada, and Hindalco and Sterlite in Kashipur-Lanjigada in Orissa and defended their rights over their lands and forests. Citing other instances, they said tribals had opposed the Kudremukh iron-ore mining company in Karnataka for protection of the Tungabhadra river and uranium mining in Jaduguda in Jharkhand.

There were protests against the proposed public sector NMDC steel plant in Nagarnaar in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh and against privatisation of power in Madhya Pradesh. Also, there was opposition to the S. Kumar-sponsored Maheshwar Dam project in the Narmada Valley.

They said the five-day congress was to provide business opportunities for mining and other high priority core sectors, and to showcase the advanced mining technologies available.

"The event is being organised for the second time in India after 1984 when the initiation of liberalisation in the manufacturing sector, mechanisation of public sector mining companies, opening up of bauxite-aluminium mining to the world market and reform in the environment policy were witnessed. The ongoing event would only serve to open up the natural resources for further exploitation on a massive scale,'' they said.

More importantly, laws and constitutional provisions had been amended to ensure freer entry to multinationals. Labour laws were also being altered along with the Mines and Mineral (Regulation and Development) Act, 1956. Acquisition of land for such purposes will no longer require a public hearing in violation of the Land Acquisition Act and the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.

Among the participants were representatives of the Prakrutik Sampad Surakshya Parishad, Kashipur (Orissa), the Chatisgada Mukti Morcha (Chhattisgarh), the Jharkhand Organisation Against Radiation, the Adivasi Aikya Vedika (Andhra Pradesh), the Janasangharsha Morcha (Madhya Pradesh), the Samajwadi Jana Parishad, the All India People's Resistance Forum and the People's Democratic Forum (Bangalore).