Social science research is emerging on a range of issues around large and
small-scale mining, connecting them to broader social, cultural, political,
historical and economic factors rather than purely measuring the environmental
impacts of mining. Within this broader context of global scholarly attention on
extractive industries, this book explores two specific contexts: the cultural
politics of coal and coal mining, within the context of one particular country,
India, which is the third largest coal producer in the world. Both contexts are
special; with its separate Ministry, coal occupies pride of place in
contemporary India, shaping the energy future and influencing the economic and
political milieu of the country.