By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: To demand a country wide ban on the aerial spraying of the hazardous and killer pesticide, Endosulphan, and rehabilitation of its victims, human rights activists and intellectuals will hold a parliament march tomorrow 24th November under the banner of Solidarity Youth Movement (SYM).
The march which will start from Jantar Mantar at 3 pm will be addressed by Narmada Bachao Andolan activist Medha Patkar, Prof. AK Ramakrishnan of JNU and Dr. SQR Ilyas of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind among several activists and intellectuals.
P. Mujeeb Rahman addressing the media, Devikiran on his right
Announcing about the parliament march in a press conference today P. Mujeeb Rahman, Kerala president of SYM, said that this march is being organized as a part of SYM’s anti-Endosulphan agitation.
Mr. Rahman said that the aerial spraying of Endosulphan in cashew plantations of Kasargod district of Kerala has already resulted in the catastrophic death of 200 people and several health hazards to more than 4000 people.
The fatal pesticide has been used widely in India while most of the foreign countries have put a blanket ban over it, he further said.
According Rahman, the National Institute of Occupational Health recommended against the use of any chemical pesticide in Kasargod district in a report recently submitted to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Victims of the Endosulphan spraying at the press conference
The sale and use of this pesticide was banned in Kerala by the Kerala High Court, the state government and the central government in 2003, 2004 and 2005 respectively.
The press conference was also addressed by Devikiran, one of the victims of the aerial spraying of Endosulphan in cashew plantations of Kasargod. Devikiran, a 6th standard student of government blind school and his brother were born blind.
“The result of the spraying of Endosulphan for nearly 25 years from the sky in the cashew plantations was kids with overgrown heads, those suffering from the pains of cancer, those who have lost mobility of their arms and blind and deaf and the list goes on,” said Devikiran.
The poison rain of the developmental terror unleashed by the ruling establishment and the pesticide bosses has turned our land into a land of destitute people
Reading in fluent English from Braille scripts, Devikiran further said, “What we need is justice. Our friends and mothers are starving as well as suffering untold miseries due to the various diseases.”