C Shivakumar @ Thoothkudi:
It took nearly 24-years for the anti-Sterlite movement to become a mass movement and win people’s confidence against the subsidiary of London based Vedanta group but barely two months after massive March 24 protest, the peaceful movement got bloodied with the loss of 13 lives due to leadership tussle and district administration failing to heed to intelligence warning of massive protest.
It was on March 24 that the anti-Sterlite movement got the backing of public as villages and people who were pro-Sterlite or were receiving doles from the industry turned against them and 20,000 persons, including men women and children participated in the protest demanding that the copper plant be closed.
“Nearly 23 associations took part in the movement and we had backing of each and every community,” recounts Fatima Babu, who had been part of the movement for the last 23 years.
Interestingly, it was this fissure among the leadership that resulted in the movement getting bloodied. After March 24, the unity in the leadership was broken and at a point it was announced that everyone is a leader, says Babu.
Dissenting voices
There were three major factions. One lead by Fatima Babu, the other lead by Tamil nationalist Tamil Manthan and the third lead by Makkal Adhikaram’s Krishnamoorthy.
Fatima Babu says that after the success of March 24 protest, the entire movement was infiltrated by those who were earlier part of the protest and had abandoned the movement midway. Interestingly, since 1994 when the anti-Sterlite movement was started after the state government gave clearance to the project, it has a history of leaders, politicians and also councilors who will add chorus whenever there are deaths in the plant or gas leak. But then the protests would die down due to the generosity of Sterlite towards them.
“The March 24 and May 22 protest was leaderless as we fear that the leaders would be bribed by Sterlite,” says a trader on condition of anonymity.
Sources said that prior to the May 22 shootout happened, one group wanted to lay seige to Collectorate and proposed to sit in dharna while the other wanted the protest to be held at SAV High School.
While the district administration agreed to the protest being held at SAV School, they opposed the meeting at Collectorate as a result Section 144 was imposed. This too after intelligence warned of more than 18,000 people would be participating in the protest.
Jai Ganesh, a protester, who braved Section 144 said that as he was proceeding towards SAV school, he found that a large section of people were proceeding towards collectorate. The group at SAV ground then joined this group and as they proceeded, the district administration was caught unaware as they never planned to contain such a huge protest. Protesters question the move claiming was it a ploy to make the movement violent and then to crush it or just ignorance.
The major barricade at VVD signal was broken off with allegations of police provocation by ASP Selvan Nagarathinam who let the cow in by removing the barricade. A girl was injured in the melee.
But the police official said that such allegations are wrong and baseless and it will be officially proved. The district administration then fired tear gas shells but only in small numbers and questions arose whether they had adequate number of them.
While police sources and district administration refused to comment on the number of tear gas shells fired by the cops stating that an enquiry commission is probing the incident. It is learnt that the protesters grew violent near the National Highway when the teargas shells were fired at them. In the melee two motor cycles of policemen were also burnt.
By then the crowd reached the collectorate. Former High Court judge K Chandru said that police should have used water cannon or teargas shells or fired in air to disperse the crowd. But then cops fired the bullets aiming the chest, head and face instead firing below the knees. “We had to defend ourselves as such a huge crowd had gathered,” claimed sources stating that after lathicharge, shots were fired at the crowd.
After lathicharge, the crowd started hurling stones at cops. Interestingly, official sources claim the protest had backing of Naxals and others elements while dismissing the 24 year old struggle against the copper plant. But a trade outfit leader said if the protest had naxal backing then there would have been more bloodshed. “Only the police hands were bloodied and the protesters never indulged in killing or hurling bombs for which naxals are famous for,” says the trade outfit leader.
Greed
Interestingly, the copper plant had been a money-making plant for politicians, who get hefty contract from the plant management. When the plant got clearance from the government in 1994 and subsequently in 1996, the nearby villages rather opposing it had backed the plant despite the awareness spread by the initial proponents of anti-Sterlite movement. “A councilor used to get Rs five lakh and a Tata Sumo. The money could be more if you are a bigger politician,” alleges one of the earlier organizers of anti-Sterlite movement.
“Women were getting sewing machines, schools were funded and additional beds were provided to hospitals,” said Prince, who was part of the initial movement.
The copper industry’s public relations is so strong that it had infiltrated into every nook and corner of the city, says Prince.
Health
But with the number of cancer related deaths happening in and around the city, the villagers who once backed the plant want to scrap it. “What use is the money when our lives are at stake,” says Jai Ganesh whose father is battling cancer.
The entire city is dying. Every house has some health-related deaths, says M Bhaskaran, a tea shop vendor.
“I had three of my family members who died of cancer and my mother Mahee has wheezing problems. As a result I along with my family joined the protest,” says Anthonysami, who survived a bullet which brushed past his arm, as he rushed to save his family after police opened fire on the belligerent but unarmed crowd.
Interestingly, the protest has also been backed by traders who feel the copper plant is threat to the residents in Thoothkudi. Many of them had downed the shutters since May 22 and it was after peace committee meeting on May 24 that shops were opened.
Studies
International studies have stated that Uncontrolled copper smelting processes emit large quantities of particulate matter, trace elements, and sulfur oxides, which can have adverse effects on human health. Sulfur dioxide (SO2), and the sulfates and sulfuric acid aerosols it forms in the atmosphere, can be lung irritants and aggravate asthma. Estimates of the magnitude of health risks and the influence of S02 and secondary pollutants from all emission sources range from O to 50,000 premature deaths every year in US and Canada alone, a Princeton University study said
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