Who lost?
The protests at Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper Smelting Unit in Tuticorin took 11 lives yesterday throwing up questions at the inadequate crowd control training of the police forces of Tamil Nadu. The 400,000 tons Smelter would have soon doubled its capacity, which has been put to rest by the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court.
While we waste no time in criticising the government and the banks for massive pile over of NPAs, protests have stopped several significant activities in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The Kudankulam Nuclear plant developed with Russian technology faced the wrath of the locales and got phenomenally delayed in its eventual commissioning. The scene was similar in the stoppage of Methane extraction activities following violent protests. The stoppage of the Copper Smelter plant will deal a body blow to our self-sustainability in Copper, India ending up as an importer, causing more pressure on our choking forex needs and balance of trade.
Did the Union Environment Ministry and the Pollution Control Board err in giving the factory the licence to operate in Tuticorin? Did Vedanta violate any environmental laws? If so what is the extent of damage caused to the environment, land, water and air? What could be the cost of reversing the adverse impact on the environment and has it been quantified? There seem no answers, but limitless apprehension in the minds of farmers, as the quality of waters both the river and underground, seem to have sharply deteriorated.
The next question is, who are these protesters? The opposition parties lose no time in exploiting any industrialisation effort, the TRP thirsty media queering the pitch. Not long ago, we have witnessed the scenes in Nandigram and Singur. The marginal farmers and rural populace always are in the receiving end, but the government thrives on kickbacks, the industry with obscene profits and a few vested interests – NGOs and religious groups, flourish whipping up unrest and disturbing our economy.
While successive governments have empathised cause of farmers, despite the ever-increasing suicides the other essential element of any economic growth, industrialisation has been ostracised and demonised. Acquiring land for industrial activity has become a nightmare, with astronomical sums demanded lands, which only realty sector alone could afford.
No major industry would dare enter India, if the protests, often orchestrated by political opponents and media, disregarding national interests becomes a recurring feature. While the utmost concern should be for the farmers and poor people, India needs to grow as well. Not all states have methane gushing out from the underground, but in the Cauvery belt of Tanjavur, it does, sadly or otherwise. If we fail to utilise the abundant natural resources of our country, we will be left to live, as did our forefathers in Vedic times and should stop confusing ourselves with the dream of ‘Make in India.’
No matter what, it is cold horror that 11 apprehensive protesters had to die in police firing. Even firing from across the border does not pluck so many lives in one day! Shame!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide voix
0 Comments
Wow Sir this is no win situation
Yes much of the protests are engineered by vested groups, the innocent poor falling victims!