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Violence in TN

Kashmir Times. Dated: 5/23/2018 10:58:42 PM

It is not only about mishandling of law and order situation but also the nexus that allows industries violating environmental norms to thrive

The killing of 9 people during anti-Sterlite protests in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin is an ugly reflection of brutal power exercised by the state government to protect the interests of the big multi-national companies at the cost of public health and environmental concerns. Thousands of residents had been protesting for 100 days against Vedanta's Sterlite copper smelting plant and its reported expansion but the state government responded with criminal silence. They had intensified protests demanding closure of the plant after reports came in that the group was seeking licence for expansion as the initial 25 year licence comes to an end. On Tuesday, coinciding with the 100th day of their protest, about 20000 people marched in a procession towards district collector's office in violation of prohibitory orders and stormed it, turning violent. The shocking incident necessitates a probe which should address several related questions. Chief Minister E Palaniswami has announced a judicial inquiry into the violence. A fair and time bound investigation must follow. This probe should address also the pressing question of why the police was unable to handle the situation and who ordered the firing. Why were non-lethal crowd control measures not employed to deal with mobs even as they got unruly? The police are guided by Standard Operation Procedures while dealing with civilians and an increase in similar incidents across the country and on a daily basis in places like Kashmir reveal the need for better training of the police force.
At the same time, there is need to pin political responsibility for the circumstances that led to a boil. The Tuticorin episode is not simply one of law and order. It is a reflection of the huge political nexus with the corporate runs roughshod over the public which is impacted by projects like the Sterlite copper smelting plant against which thousands of people had been protesting. It is no secret that the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board rejected Vedanta's licence to operate the smelter in April and maintained that the company had not complied with local environmental laws. Protesters have alleged that the smelter plant was polluting ground water in their area and it was proving to be a major health hazard. This is not the first time that protests over the plant erupted. In 2013, hundreds of people suffered breathing difficulty, nausea and throat infection following a gas leak from the plant. Though the plant was ordered to shut down following allegations of violating pollution control norms, the National Green Tribunal had ultimately allowed it to be reopened. The same year in another case, the Supreme Court had slapped a Rs 00 crore fine on the plant for causing pollution. But despite the fine and a shutdown by pollution regulator for not sticking to safety rules, the group wanted to double the plant's capacity. The case was already well known and the locals had been complaining and protesting for a long time. By refusing to heed the voice of the people and ignoring their legitimate demands, the government created a situation where the crowds turned violent. This is a case of not just callousness but criminal negligence and the government must own up responsibility.
Lastly, there needs to be a white paper on the manner in which the copper smelting plant has been brazenly violating norms. The country needs a more concerted fight against the manner in which industrial plants run by major business houses continue to flout environmental norms and make peoples' lives vulnerable, often with political patronage. The resolve to do this does not exist at the government level in all parts of the country. The shocking reminder is the denial of justice three decades after the Bhopal gas tragedy.