• Source:JND

Two after the Adani Group chairman was indicted by US Prosecutors in an alleged bribery case, in another drawback, Gautam Adani has also been accused of racism at its Australian coal unit after an Aboriginal group filed a complaint with the country's Human Rights Commission.

The Nagana Yarrbayn Wangan & Jagalingou Cultural Custodians in Queensland announced earlier this week that they have lodged a complaint accusing Bravus Mining and Resources of significant racial discrimination.

The complaint details how Adani employees sought to “verbally and physically obstruct and prevent" members of the Aboriginal group from accessing springs near Adani's Carmichael coal mine “in order to perform cultural rites and share cultural knowledge", the group said in a statement.

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"We have endured years of discrimination and vilification from Adani, and we’re not putting up with this anymore," Nagana Yarrbayn Senior Cultural Custodian, Adrian Burragubba said in the statement.

"Adani has been on notice about their conduct since our lawyers sent a concerns notice last year, and they refused to take action. Legal recourse is the only answer," he added.

A Bravus spokesperson refuted all the claims and allegations by the group saying that it was an attempt to stop Bravus from telling its side of the story and "sharing facts with the public about our interactions with him and members of his ‘Family Council’."

It stated that the mine has been operating safely and responsibly, adhering to Queensland and Australian laws, and collaborating with the majority of the Traditional Owner group for the mining area, in accordance with ratified Indigenous Land Use Agreements and Cultural Heritage Management Plans, for over two years.

It has not received any notification from the Australian Human Rights Commission of a complaint, it added.

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A spokesperson stated that the Commission could not verify whether a complaint had been received until both the complainant and the respondent had publicly acknowledged it.

The Aboriginal group said it was seeking compensation, an apology, the removal of offending social media, a retraction of media statements, and anti-racism and cultural awareness training for Adani’s directors, managers and employees.