By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
Kasargode: The National Human Rights Commission will hold a sitting in connection with the Endosulphan tragedy on December 18 in Kasargode, according to reports. The Solidarity Youth Movement had last week organized a march of the Endosulphan victims to the Parliament and submitted a memorandum to the NHRC, which has reportedly resulted in the Commission sitting.
The NHRC chairman Js KG Balakrishnan is supposed to reach Kasargode on December 17. The collection of evidence will be held on December 18 in three levels in the Collectorate. Evidences will be collected from the victims and common people from 10 am to 11 am. Different voluntary organizations can submit their complaints from 11 to 12 noon. People’s representatives (legislators, representatives in local bodies etc) and public activists can present themselves at the sitting from 12 to 1 pm. The Commission will visit three important panchayats affected by the endosulphan from 2 pm to 5 pm. Two of the panchayats are Enmakaje and Bellur and the third will be decided later.
In another development, writers and social activists called for donating for the endosulphan victims by sacrificing a meal on the Human Rights Day. The press statement was signed by several activists and writers such as Civic Chandran, Leelakumariyamma, MA Rahman, Ambikasuthan Mangad, Padre, etc yesterday.
Endosulphan, a dangerous pesticide banned in several countries, was sprayed in the cashew plantations in some villages in Kasargode district in northern Kerala. People began to have grave and extraordinary diseases in the area, and several hundreds lost their lives. Many continued to live as if dead. The reason for the genetic and other problems in the area was found to be the poisonous pesticide which had permeated through the soil and poisoned the land, water and air. Spraying of the endosulphan was stopped in the plantation, however the problems in the area are still not solved. Children are being born with deformities. Several studies were conducted by different state and non-state agencies, most of which found the pesticide dangerous and demanded its ban. But it is a strange fact to be noted that India and China were the only countries that strongly opposed the ban of this deadly pesticide in a conference held in Vienna recently.
The endosulphan issue recently came up again when central minister Prof KV Thomas stated in a public function that the problems in the area have not been proved to be the consequences of endosulphan. The minister’s statement attracted strong criticism and subsequently several news reports also came out showing the relations between the agriculture department and the pesticide lobbies.
The State Human Rights Commission has already visited the affected areas and prepared reports. It had also harshly criticised the central and state governments on the matter. The new move of the NHRC is supposed to bring the matter better to the national level which may lead for a better solution of the problem, which is possible by a complete ban of the deadly pesticide.