Muddling through: Searching for the ideal in the coal mining fields of Meghalaya

•The organization of coal mining in Meghalaya in north-eastern India is explored.•A specific policy of promoting artisanal mining has led to mixed consequences.•Four dimensions are identified along which mining in this context can be analyzed.•Need for policy formulation to account for inevitable field changes highlighted.

In this paper we explore the organization of coal mining in the region of Meghalaya in the north-eastern part of India where a specific policy of promoting artisanal mining exists. Because of the recent intensification of mining activities and its adverse consequences, the continued relevance of such a policy is being questioned. We identify four dimensions along which mining in this context can be analyzed reflecting the changes in activities over the years. The original mode of mining that was aligned to the policy has increasingly undergone changes resulting in activities that did not support the values and the basic assumptions inherent in the policy. We argue that policy formulation should account for inevitable and often predictable changes that might occur as a result of these policies.