Bloody police killings of civil protestors against Vedanta's copper operations
Published by MAC on 2018-05-23Source: The Wire, Counter Currents, Times of India, Reuters
Futher deaths are now reported
Late news: death toll officially stands at 13
The Tuticorin death toll, reported yesterday on MAC, seems to have been officially recorded as "at least" 11 people, though other reports claim the figure stands at 17, and is likely to rise further.
Importantly, the Madras High Court on 22nd May ordered that expansion of Vedanta's operations at the offending plant, be immediately halted - it was this demand that triggered initial protests at the smelter site, three months ago.
According to the Times of India, the police which opened fire on men, women and children, were following orders by the same court - a distinctly questionable allegation. Almost certainly, judges provided no justification for the extreme action taken by state forces.
The leader of the national opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi. has claimed this was "a brutal example of state-sponsored terrorism”.
Further condemnation has come From Amnesty, while solidarity demonstations were held in the Indian capital of Dehli.
As for Vedanta/Sterlite, it has issued a typically hypocritical self-exonerating statement expressing "sorrow at the loss of lives", and appealing to the government "to ensure safety of employees, facilities and the surrounding communities".
No company acknowledgment, apparently, that it was the very existence of the destructive, excoriating copper smelter and its manifestly unsafe operations, which triggered massive demonstrations by thousands of local people in the first place.
[Comment by Nostromo Research]
Sterlite Protest: Speculation Rife That Police Firing Was Pre-Planned
This is the first time the Tamil Nadu government has responded to the protests – and it has responded with force.
Kevitha Muralidharam
The Wire
22 May 2018
Thoothukudi: In an unprecedented turn of events, at least 11 protesters were killed on May 22 in Thoothukudi after police opened fire at the protest rally demanding the closure of the Sterlite unit in the town. The protest by the people of Thoothukudi against Sterlite, which they have claimed is polluting the town and resulted in a higher incidence of cancer, had reached its 100th day on May 22.
This is the first time the Tamil Nadu government has responded to the protests.
Activists allege that three rounds of firing at different places by the police were only an attempt to “dilute the protests”. “There was an even bigger protest on March 24 in Tuticorin against Sterlite. But it was peaceful,” says Henry Tiphagne, the executive director of People’s Watch; he was present on the spot. “It is unfortunate that the state has failed to gauge the public mood. The people were angry but not violent. Certainly they were not angry against the government.”
Tens of thousands of protestors had gathered near V.V.T. signal in Thoothukudi on the morning of May 22 for a rally towards the Collectorate, demanding that the Sterlite unit be closed. While the rally had been announced at least 20 days ago, the district collector N. Venkatesh had issued an order imposing section 144 the previous day.
The police fired teargas at the protestors when they defied the ban, resulting in a clash between police and protestors. When the rally reached the Collector’s office, the police opened fire twice, killing several protestors. Sources say the police opened fire again at Threspuram, a fisher village, whose residents were spearheading protests in the evening.
“It is pre-planned, cold blooded murder,” says T. Velmurugan, leader of the Thamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi, a local political party. “The police obviously want to quell the protests. We have reasons to believe that they have been bought over by Sterlite.”
‘Firing was inevitable’
Sources said the police had already planned to open fire and intended to kill the protest’s organisers. “It was indiscriminate and random. There was no warning from the police that they were going to open fire” Tiphagne said. “The protest, which was at first peaceful and included a diverse gathering including persons with disabilities and transgender persons, soon turned violent as a result of the police shooting at the Collectorate. As soon as people found out that fellow protesters were shot dead by the police and several others were left injured, they resorted to violence. The protesters began to target their violence towards the Sterlite Housing Quarters, which was located right beside the Collectorate.”
Among those killed in the police firing was Thamizharasan, a leader of the Puratchikara Ilaignar Munnani (Revolutionary Youth Front); he was one of the organisers of the protests. Visuals of policemen atop vehicles opening fire pointedly targeting the protestors have emerged, lending credence to speculation that the firing was pre-planned.
Nityanand Jayaraman, of the Chennai Solidarity group, termed the state’s response “brutal”. “The district has now been brought under police control. The idea is to clearly kill the protests. It is sad that the state is undermining the protesters.”
There is palpable fear in several villages around Thoothukudi. “We have been hearing that police has been indiscriminately going into villages and threatening people. People fear there could be violence in the night,” Velmurugan said.
With apparent pressure on news channels to ‘limit’ the coverage of rioting, there are still conflicting reports on the number of deaths. While Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy claimed nine were killed in the protests, a statement issued by Bhanwarilal Purohit, the governor, put the number at 11. Sources in Thoothukudi said the number could be much higher. “The police have just begun to go home by home enquiring if they are related to any of the deceased,” one journalist in the town said.
D. Jayakumar, the state fisheries minister, called the firing “inevitable” even as the chief minister appealed to the people to maintain calm. Palanisamy had also announced a one-person judicial commission to probe the killings. A solatium of Rs 10 lakh has been announced for the families of those killed.
Against judicial enquiry
However, activists summarily rejected the idea of a judicial enquiry into the killings. Tiphagne suggested that the National and State Human Rights Commissions should conduct a suo moto enquiry into the killings. Stalin Rajangam, a Dalit scholar, pointed out how judicial commissions of the past have only helped governments protect themselves, “legally and documentary wise”.
“From Kila Venmani in 1968, the victims have never been served with justice in any case of violence,” he said. “In 1999, 17 labourers drowned to death in Thamiraparani river (in Tirunelveli). They entered the river to escape police lathi charge and firing. They were only protesting seeking the release of fellow labourers of Manjolai estate, arrested for demanding better wages.”
“More recently, in 2011, six Dalits were killed in police firing in a rally to commemorate the memorial of Dalit leader Immanuel Sekaran. There were judicial commissions in all the cases but no justice for the victims,” he added..
Meanwhile, the Madurai Bench of the Madras high court is all set to pronounce its judgment in a case seeking a ban on the second plant being built by Sterlite. The petitioner, Professor Fathima, has approached the court saying the company had obtained an environmental clearance by providing fraudulent documents.
One More Shot Dead In Tuticorin; Death Toll 13
by Arun Kali Raja
Countercurrents
24 May 2018
Today on May 23, 2018 fresh violence was unleashed on the family of those who were killed in the police atrocities yesterday in Tuticorin. They had gathered in the Tuticorin government hospital and opposed the attempt by the government to cover-up the cold blooded murder by conducting autopsy without any witness. The police took control of the hospitals and autopsy was conducted. When the protests intensified the police again resorted to firing. A 22 year old youth was killed in the firing and about five people have been injured fatally. With this death toll has reached 13.
Dr. Edwin Joe, director of Medical education in TamilNadu told the media today that out of the 42 who were admitted in their hospital, 17 of the fatally injured protesters have undergone operation today. Also bodies of 10 protesters who were killed are kept in the mortuary. The actual death toll is still not known and the police are trying to cover-up the mass killings.
Protests have erupted in various part of TamilNadu against the killings carried out in broad day light. The state’s Brahminical Media, RSS and BJP have all come out support of the atrocities and have justified the police excess. The Ruling ADMK government, which has been a faithful lapdog of BJP, has toed the same line.Members of the ruling ADMK party are justifying the violence by saying that naxals and Maoists have hijacked the protests.
The Home ministry has now asked the state government to cut off the internet connection to three districts Tuticorin, Nellai and Kanyakumari. The central government has also announced that para military forces will be deployed in these districts. Facebook pages of activists who have been voicing in support of the protesting people have been blocked at the behest of the government.
All of these are a precursor to a massive violence that will be let loose on the innocent civilians.
In 2011, when the people of Idindhankarai and Koodankulam were protesting against the nuclear power plant, the government resorted to such acts. Power supply and mobile connectivity was terminated in the two villages. Journalists from various national media were prevented from entering into the villages and those who were on the ground were forced to leave the villages.
Arun Kali Raja is part of the May 17 Movement
Tuticorin protest: Madras High Court stays expansion of Sterlite plant
The HC's order came a day after 11 protesters were killed in police firing
TIMES OF INDIA
May 23 2018
The Sterlite Copper plant and its proposed expansion in Thoothukudi
invited several protests by locals and others who allege that the plant
was polluting groundwater in their area
NEW DELHI: The Madurai bench of Madras High Court on Wednesday stopped the
construction of a new copper smelter by Sterlite industries.
The stay on construction came a day after 11 people were killed and over
65 injured after police fired on the protesters who were demanding the
closure of the Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi over pollution
concerns.
In today's hearing, the HC ordered a halt in the expansion works at the
plant and ordered a public hearing of the matter.
According to the police, Section 144 of CrPC has been invoked in and
around the unit as per the orders of the Madras High Court.
Meanwhile, Sterlite Copper said its factory in Tuticorin district is
currently non-functional and the company is awaiting approval from the
authorities to resume operations at the site. Sterlite said the facility
has been shut since March 27 when the company took up annual scheduled
maintenance.
The firm's application to renew its licence to operate the copper smelter
facility was rejected by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
Expressing sorrow at the loss of lives, Sterlite in a statement said it
has appealed to the government to ensure safety of employees, facilities
and the surrounding communities.
Following the incident, the Centre today asked the state government to
provide details of the incident at Tuticorin.
Union Home Ministry officials said the ministry is in touch with the state
government over the developments in the port town of the southern state.
The three month-long protest by locals demanding closure of Sterlite
Copper unit of Vedanta Group turned violent yesterday with agitators
pelting stones and toppling police vehicles after they were prevented from
marching towards the plant.
Following the shooting, the protesters tried to ‘gherao’(blockade) the collector's
office and torched vehicles inside the premise. Police officials resorted
to lathi-charge and tear gas to disperse the crowd to contain the tense
situation.
Terming the killings of the protesters as a "cold-blooded murder", Pattali
Makkal Katchi (PMK) demanded the resignation of CM Edappadi K Palaniswami.
"What happened in Thoothukudi is a cold-blooded murder by police. They
should be booked for murder and SP, Collector, DGP and Chief Secretary
should be suspended. Taking moral responsibility, CM Edappadi K
Palaniswami should resign," PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss said.
Condemning the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-led State
government for the unrest and the deaths, Kamal Hasaan's Makkal Needhi
Maiam blamed the government for the unrest in the state. Hassan will be
visiting the site of the incident later today.
The party in its statement said, "The peaceful protest by the people of
Thoothukudi against Sterlite, demanded justice was ignored by the
Governments. Negligence of the Governments is the reason for all the
unfortunate incidents. Citizens are not criminals. They are the ones who
lose their lives, earlier due to Sterlite and now due to the Government's
orders."
Sterlite Copper represents the copper unit of Vedanta Ltd which operates a
four lakh tonne per annum plant at Tuticorin.
____________________________________________________________________________
At least nine dead after police fire on protesters at Indian copper smelter
Sudarshan Varadhan
Reuters
22 May 2018
NEW DELHI - At least nine people were killed in India’s Tamil Nadu state
on Tuesday when police fired at violent protesters calling for the closure
of a copper smelter run by Vedanta Resources, authorities said.
The state’s chief minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, said police had been
forced to act after the protests turned violent, and that nine people had
been killed. The state’s governor put the death toll at 11.
The head of the national opposition Congress party, Rahul Gandhi,
condemned the use of lethal force, calling it “a brutal example of
state-sponsored terrorism”.
Residents of the port city of Thootukudi, located at the tip of the Indian
subcontinent, and environmentalists have been demonstrating for more than
three months against the copper plant, one of India’s biggest, alleging
that it is a major source of pollution and a risk to fisheries.
On Tuesday, a crowd waving black flags stormed the district government
headquarters and an apartment block for Vedanta employees, a company
official said, declining to be named for fear of being targeted.
Protesters set vehicles on fire and threw stones at police, Palaniswami
said in a statement.
He said police had been forced to act “since protesters disregarded a
curfew, acted against the advice of police”, and indulged in violence.
“MURDERED FOR PROTESTING”
Gandhi tweeted: “The gunning down by the police of nine people in ...
Tamil Nadu, is a brutal example of state-sponsored terrorism. These
citizens were murdered for protesting against injustice. My thoughts &
prayers are with the families of these martyrs and the injured.”
Local television showed police trying to disperse the crowd with tear gas
and a policeman firing shots from the top of a van. Smoke rose from
several parts of the city.
State Minister D. Jayakumar said in a televised address that it had been
“unavoidable” for police to fire on protesters.
The plant, which can produce 400,000 tonnes of copper a year, has been
shut for more than 50 days and will remain closed until at least June 6
because the local pollution regulator has said it is not complying with
environmental rules.
Environmental activists and some local politicians want the government to
shut the plant permanently.
“The inaction of the government has led to the people’s protests, and
police resorting to firing to control it. Action should be taken to shut
down the plant immediately to address this issue,” M.K. Stalin, leader of
the main opposition group in Tamil Nadu, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, said
in a Facebook post.
Vedanta says the protests are based on “false allegations”, and that it
plans to double capacity at the smelter to 800,000 tonnes per year.
“We would like to restart the plant as soon as possible, in a peaceful
manner,” P. Ramnath, chief executive of Vedanta Ltd’s copper business,
told Reuters.
The plant was shut for more than two months in 2013 by an environmental
court after residents complained about emissions.
Women shout slogans during a protest against the government and police
forces after at least nine people were killed when police fired at
protesters calling for the closure of a Vedanta Resources-controlled
copper smelter in Thootukudi, in southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, in
Chennai, India.
Reporting by Sudarshan Varadhan; Editing by Kevin Liffey