Coal Sector: The Weight of Missed Chances and A Call to Reclaim Our Legacy

As we celebrated our SECL’s 41st Foundation Day with pride and vibrant enthusiasm—only a few weeks after our holding company, Coal India Limited (CIL) remarkable 51-year journey—I felt a deep sense of gratitude, but also a profound stirring within. Foundation Days are sacred pauses in the long journey of any organization. They are moments of truth. They remind us of the visionary leaders, the committed workers, the silent heroes who poured their sweat and spirit into shaping what we proudly call our organization. Yet, they also compel us to pause, to reflect, to look inward and to ask the questions we often avoid:

Are we truly on the right path?

Are we honoring the opportunities we are blessed with?

Are we building a future that we will be proud to hand over?

Because unless we acknowledge our shortcomings—not with fear, but with courage—we can never step into the greatness that awaits us.

I have always believed that good leaders change outcomes, but great leaders change lives. They dare to speak hard truths when silence is convenient. They stand for what is right for the Company, the Community, and the Country—the 3Cs that define our purpose.

And as I look across the vast coalfields of India—where giant HEMMs carve through mountains and the underground glows with the humble, unwavering light of miners—I do not just see coal but..

I see the possibilities.

I see the responsibilities.

And, heartbreakingly, I also see the missed opportunities.

For decades, coal has powered India’s growth—lighting homes, running industries, and uplifting millions. However, Coal mining is also inherently intrusive. Forests are felled, landscapes are reshaped, and ecosystems are disturbed. We operate in a sector where every action leaves a mark and therefore, our accountability is far greater than we often admit.

We have the power to:

· reclaim mined land with sincerity, not formality;

· create green shields around our operations;

· reduce dust, noise, and water pollution through world-class systems;

· integrate renewable energy alongside coal;

· invest in sustainable, futuristic technologies.

But when we fail to act, it leaves a wound—not just on the earth, but on our conscience. What will haunt us in the end will not be the mistakes we made, but the chances we chose not to take.

Every ton of coal is born from the labor of thousands: permanent employees, contract workers, and the invisible network of informal workers who support the ecosystem around every mine. We celebrate production milestones—and yes, they deserve applause—but what about the people who make those achievements possible?

Permanent employees have benefitted. But many contract labourers still stand where they stood decades ago—fighting the same battles, carrying the same weight, waiting for the same dignity that remains long overdue.

We still have time to change this. We can ensure fair wages; safe housing and sanitation; quality healthcare and education; secure working hours; strong safety systems; skill development and hope for upward mobility.

Yet often, these priorities fade behind the pressure of targets, tonnage, and deadlines. And that is a regret that silently grows.

The communities around our mines live with expectations of cleaner air, jobs for youth, better infrastructure, and shared prosperity. Yet many remain burdened by pollution, limited opportunities, and unplanned development. We could have set an example for the world. But we didn’t—and that absence speaks louder than our presence as communities remember not just what we did—but what we didn’t.

Yet, I say this with a full heart that Regret is not a conclusion. It is a call. A powerful, honest wake-up call. As SECL steps into its 42nd year and Coal India begins its 52nd, this is our moment—to correct, to rebuild, to re-imagine. We can become a global example of ethical, sustainable, and people-centered mining. We can strengthen safety, revolutionize welfare for contract labour, restore landscapes, and treat community development not as CSR but as duty.

The coal beneath our feet is finite. But our legacy is not. Future generations will not judge us by the tons we extracted, but by the lives we uplifted and the courage we showed to do the right thing. With India’s new Labour Codes now in force, we have a renewed opportunity to ensure dignity, fairness, and protection for every worker.

Let us build a coal sector that does not leave behind a legacy of regret but a legacy of responsibility, compassion, and transformation. Let us act now and build a coal sector that our Nextgen will thank us for, not question. Because the greatest regrets for human beings are never about what we did, but about what we chose not to do when we still had the chance.

Thank you All !

sincerely yours

sanjeev