Anti-Sterlite protest brings Thoothukudi district to a halt

Residents of Kumarettiyapuram village near Thoothukudi have been protesting against Sterlite Copper industries for close to six weeks and according to them the state government had given its nod for setting up SIPCOT-II in their village, which included a new plant of Sterlite company. 

Kumarettiyapuram residents and a group of activists had called for a protest and a token strike against Sterlite Industries in Thoothukudi on Saturday. There was an overwhelming response to the call as normal life was almost crippled in the town and several other parts of the district. 

More than 10,000 shops in Thoothukudi district were closed in support for the protest and theatres cancelled their shows. Country boat fishermen too participated in the protest along with mini buses which were not operated. 

Meanwhile, MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Saturday, one of the main petitioners in the Sterlite case, said the Saturday’s protest in Thoothukudi against the expansion of Sterlite copper plant was a huge success and warned the state government that the agitation would intensify if the state government did not stop the project. 

Recalling the 22-year-old struggle of his party against the company, Vaiko said the state government had provided 640 acres of SIPCOT land to the company for expansion and the people of the district are strongly opposed to the expansion as the operations of the company is polluting water and land, besides posing health hazards to the people. When Sterlite company was set up Maharashtra, the farmers of the area entered the company and smashed the company’s machines worth Rs 300 crores and the project was dropped. 

The company tried to enter Goa and failed, but managed to set up a factory in Tuticorin, he said.