Wounds are still fresh, but won’t let Sterlite run plant: Families of victims

It has been a year since 13 anti-Sterlite protesters were killed in a police firing at Thoothukudi, but the wounds are still fresh say families of the victims who are determined to prevent Vedanta from re-opening its copper smelter plant in the region. 

One of the key protesters of May 22 Sterlite protests was 17-year-old J Snowlin who was shot dead by the police. Speaking to DT Next, Godwin, her elder brother, said, “One year has passed since my sister was killed but the injury will never heal. We are against Sterlite and we will not allow the plant to function in Thoothukudi”.

Godwin said that they continue to stand by Snowlin’s ideals. “The police are not allowing our family to hold a commemorative event on Wednesday. So, we decided to hold a special prayer session in a church and a small meeting later,” he said.

The case is similar with the family of another victim, Gladston. His family awaits a fair investigation in the case and demands justice. Gladston’s elder brother Stephen said, “There has been no progress in investigations carried out by the CBI and the Aruna Jagadeeshan Committee. The state government has disappointed us. It has to clarify whether it is for the people or for the corporates”.

Stephen also said that the case was handed over to the CBI last August and was given four months by the court to file a report. “If it went by the court orders, then the CBI should have completed the investigation by December last year, but so far not a single report has been submitted to the court,” he said. “Earlier, we were under the impression that if a case is handed over to the CBI, justice will be delivered swiftly, but now we have lost have faith in it.”

The common complaint among the families of the victims is that the police not allowing them to hold prayers in the burial ground.

Apart from the deceased, more than 100 protesters were injured in the police firing. Vasanthi, the mother of Santhosh, who took two bullets and lost a leg, said, “I am proud that my son participated in the protest and lost his leg for the people of Thoothukudi. We will continue to protest if government allows Sterlite to function here.”

The families have planned to hold meetings on Wednesday and to take pledge against allowing the plant to function in the area.

1992: Sterlite was allotted 500 acres in Ratnagiri district by Maharashtra government to set up a copper smelter unit

July 15, 1993: The Ratnagiri Collector directed the Sterlite company to suspend the construction of the smelter unit

1994: Within a year, the company shifted the project to Tamil Nadu and on August 1, 1994, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) issued a NOC asking the company to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

Jan 16, 1995: The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) cleared the project without the EIA

Oct 14, 1996: TNPCB, ignoring the violation of its own licence condition on setback from the Gulf of Mannar, issued licence to operate the plant

Aug 20, 1997: Staff at TNEB’s sub-station located across the Sterlite factory complained of health issues due to emissions from the plant

Nov 1998: The NEERI tabled a report on Sterlite’s activities and its effects following a direction from the Madras HC which was hearing a petition filed in 1996 by National Trust for Clean Environment

Nov 23, 1998: The factory was closed for a brief following a HC order

Sept 21, 2004: A Supreme Court monitoring committee after an inspection recommended not to give clearance for the company’s proposed expansion from 391 to 900 tonnes per day. Within a day, the MoEF gave approval for the expansion

Nov 16, 2004: The TNPCB in its report confirmed that the company was engaged in unlicenced production

Sept 28, 2010: In the 1996 case filed by National Trust for Clean Environment, MDMK leader Vaiko and others, the HC ordered the closure of the factory. Three days later, the SC stayed HC’s order

March 23, 2013: There was a massive gas leak in Thoothukudi town

2014: SIPCOT applied for permission to develop the 1,616 acres as Thoothukudi Industrial Park

March 28, 2018: A report released by the Chennai Solidarity Group exposed how the proposed factory site fell outside the existing industrial complex

April 2, 2018: TNPCB sent a notice to SIPCOT, warning prosecution for unlicensed work on site reserved for Thoothukudi Industrial Park

May 22, 2018: On the 100th day of protest, the agitators tried to take out a rally towards the Collectorate when they were stopped by the police