Protest against new airport reaches one year

CHENNAI: As the relentless agitation by villagers of Parandur against the move to build the second airport for Chennai on their agricultural lands entered the 365th day on Tuesday, the protesters vowed to continue their resistance till the authorities changed the location of the greenfield facility.

It came as a shock for the people in 13 villages there when the Centre cleared Parandur as the site for the new airport, as that would entail them losing 4,750 acres of agricultural land. The fear of losing their land for a project that offered little benefit to them, at least directly, triggered an immediate protest on the very same day of the announcement, which is continuing to date.

Over the weeks and months, to keep the momentum alive, both among themselves and also among the people at large, the protesters adopted different modes, including all-night sit-ins, tonsuring heads, and even erecting illuminated cutouts depicting aircraft and helicopters during a temple festival.

On its part, the State government deputed ministerial delegations to hold talks with the people, offering them enhanced compensation for their land and other benefits to give up the protest. However, none of the efforts have borne fruit so far.

Meanwhile, a team of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras conducted a preliminary feasibility study earlier this month.

On Tuesday, AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran visited the village and joined the protest. Even as he agreed that airports were required for the development of the country, Dhinakaran said it should not be at the cost of farmlands. There were other sites where the airport could come up, he said, cautioning the government against riding roughshod over people’s emotions.