By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Kozhikode: As India voted against the global ban on endosulphan and other Asian countries opposed India’s stand, the protest against the deadly pesticide is fuming in Kerala. April 25 was observed as ‘anti-endosulphan day’ in the state, with the Chief Minister leading the protest with fast satyagraha. Different protest programmes were held all over the state, with ministers leading them in several districts. Protest programmes were organized by political parties, social and cultural organizations, environmental groups etc in different places.
India opposed a global ban on the endosulphan at the Geneva Conference where the parties of the Stockholm Convention are meeting to discuss among others a global ban on endosulphan. India and China had opposed the ban in the last meeting of the Convention also, but China did not make a clear stand on the matter in this meeting.
Sainaba, one of victims of Endosulfan pesticide, Kasaragod, Kerala [Photo: endosulfanvictims.com]
Kerala Chief Minister led the fast satyagraha on April 25, the day the Geneva Convention began. The ruling alliance of Kerala, Left Democratic Front, has called for a ‘hartal’ all over the state on April 29, the day the Geneva Convention ends.
While all political parties supported the anti-endosulphan moves of the state government, the Congress withdrew support to the protest accusing the state government led by the CPI (M) was playing politics. KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala and Opposition Leader Oommen Chandy last day visited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding a ban on the dangerous pesticide but the PM reportedly said that a ban was not possible until the study on the matter by the Indian Council of Medical Research was completed. However, the PM promised to visit Kasargod, the affected district, when he came to Kerala.
Though the Congress has withdrawn its support to the anti-endosulphan campaign led by the Chief Minister, senior Congress leader VM Sudheeran observed satyagraha in Thissur. He inaugurated the one-day satyagraha organized by a few groups of environmental and human rights concerns. Muslim League, Congress’s strong ally in the UDF, is also supporting the state wide protest against the endosulphan led by the state government.
In another development, the Supreme Court last day postponed considering the PIL submitted by the Democratic Youth Federation of India (youth organisation of the CPI-M) asking the SC to order a ban on the endosulphan all over the country. The plea will be considered within Friday. The plea reportedly also requests the SC to arrange compensation for the victims from the company.
The Solidarity Youth Movement organized protest programmes all over the state as part of the ‘anti-endosulphan day’. Hundreds including students took part in the satyagraha held in front of the Secretariat. The protesters also honoured Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan offering satyagraha at the Palayam Rakthasakshi Mandapam. The families of the endosulphan-victims and social-cultural activists took part in the protest programme held in Kasargod.
A march being taken out in Thiruvananthapuram by the action committee demanding a ban on Endosulfan. [Photo: The Hindu]
Meanwhile, the SDPI state secretariat accused that the anti-endosulphan protests of the CPI (M) and the Congress were not sincere. The CPI (M) holds protests only in Kerala and the party’s central committee is not keen to extend the protest to the national level. The Congress is responsible for the central government’s hesitation to ban the pesticide.
While the whole state lined up to express its strong opposition against the endosulphan, those Keralites outside the state did not remain aloof. A march to the Parliament was organized by the Solidarity Youth Movement, Students Islamic Organisation and the Delhi Malayali Solidarity together. A memorandum signed by one lakh Malayali expatriates was handed over to the Prime Minister after the march. The memorandum was signed by the expatriates in Saudi Arabia and was collected by the ‘Thanima Kala Samskarika Vedi’. The employees of the Kerala House organized a demonstration in solidarity with the fast satyagraha of Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan.
People thronged to the protest programmes held in Kasargod, the district which saw the adverse effects of endosulphan in about thousands. Endosulphan was used in the cashew plantations of the state-run Plantation Corporation in Kasargod from 1970s to 2001. Earlier the pesticide was sprayed by workers onto the trees. Later, aerial spray of the pesticide was carried out from helicopters and this led to the pollution of land, water and air. The deadly effects of the pesticide having dissolved in the soil, air and water were reflected in the animals, trees, plants and people of the area. Children were born with strange disabilities. Hundreds suffer difficulties in movement. Hundreds have died according to official records. The unofficial records talk of thousands.
Several studies conducted in the areas revealed the harmful effects of the pesticide. Several studies recommended a total ban on endosulphan. However, the central government has again asked the ICMR to conduct a fresh study and stated that no action leading to ban would be taken before the study was completed. The endosulphan was banned in Kerala, after its ill-effects and the problems it created in Kasargod were noted. However, there are still reports that the pesticide is used in plantations in some southern districts.