Minister gets plea to reopen Sterlite unit

Speaking to reporters, Ponraj, former president of Therku Veerapandiapuram panchayat, who led the villagers, said that the closure of the factory had affected the livelihood of hundreds of families that depended on Sterlite.

“Among us are various contractors, labourers, transport workers and others who made a living off the work provided by the factory. Now, we have lost our source of income and are suffering. All those gathered here are not imported from other areas but sons and daughters of this soil. Just as how those protesting demanding closure have a right to do so, we too have a right to protest the closure,” Ponraj said.

The villagers also claimed that they had been getting work from the firm for the past 23 years and suddenly closing it down without any forewarning would put their families in trouble. “Thus, we demand the government to open Sterlite and will continue our protest until then,” Ponraj said.

While the protest demanding closure of Sterlite has been going on for several years, the protests took a violent turn on May 22 resulting in police firing that claimed 13 lives. While the TNPCB had already ordered closure of the Copper unit, the police killing led to the state withdrawing power supply. Two lawyers belonging to Makkal Adhikaram have been accused of instigating the violence.