Mega Rally Against Sterlite Copper Smelter in Thoothukudi, Tamilnadu

Opening Speech:Mr. Nainar Kulasekaran, senior farmer's leader/organic farmer, and Leader, Thoothukudi District Anti-Sterlite Struggle Committee

Rally led by Fatima Babu, ordinator, Thoothukudi District Anti-Sterlite Struggle CommitteeInspirational Speech: Com. Nallakannu, Communist Party of India

Sterlite Vice Chairman Arrest

Close Sterlite Industries

Protestors close main entrance; demand steps for immediate action

One voice: Members of various forums staging a demonstration in Tuticorin on Monday. — Photo: N. Rajesh

Members of political parties including Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Communist Party of India (CPI), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), lawyers and persons affiliated to various movements staged a demonstration against the functioning of Sterlite Industries India Limited here on Monday.

They demanded closure of the unit for import duty evasion, among other reasons. They closed the main entrance demanding steps for immediate action.

A team of police led by N. Jayakumar, DSP (Rural), Tuticorin, along with Inspector of Police C. Murugesan intervened but they sought the intervention of the Collector.

Mr. Jayakumar stated that he was busy and would come later. They protestors burnt petition copies and dispersed immediately thereafter.

Serious health hazards

S. Joel, district decretary, MDMK, said the company was causing serious health hazards due to discharge of industrial effluents.

Wind up operations

Hence the officials should take action to wind up its operations in Tuticorin, he added.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/article535894.ece

Collectorate 'closed' seeking Sterlite closure

July 26: Members of the anti-Sterlite movement on Monday locked the Thoothukudi district collectorate demanding the state government to initiate criminal action against heads responsible for the massive tax evasion and to ban Sterlite’s industrial activities in the state.

Led by the district secretaries of the CPI, BSP and MDMK, advocates and members of various fishermen groups and environmentalists thronged the collectorate saying Sterlite had evaded duty of Rs 750 crore.

As district collector G. Prakash refused to come out of the hall where he was attending to a public grievance day meeting, to receive the petition from the agitators, they staged a sit-in protest and shouted slogans against Sterlite and also against Mr Prakash.

The agitators then locked the main door of the collectorate and continued their demonstration by squatting outside. They compelled the villagers who had come to petition the collector about their grievances to join them.

The police, deployed to evict the agitators and open the locked door, pleaded with the agitators to disperse. After about an hour, as the collector did not come out, the demonstrators burnt the copies of the petition and dispersed.