When the state fails to listen  to the people

On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu police opened fire on protesters in Thoothukudi. By the end of Wednesday, at least 12, including a minor, were feared dead and many injured.

On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu police opened fire on protesters in Thoothukudi. By the end of Wednesday, at least 12, including a minor, were feared dead and many injured. The protesters were participating in a rally to besiege the collectorate demanding that the Sterlite Copper plant in the district be shut. Tuesday was the 100th day of the protests which had largely been peaceful and had seen participation from a wide cross-section of the public. The turn towards violence on Tuesday was shocking with the police claiming that they had no choice but to resort to opening fire. 

The residents of Thoothukudi, a port town, have been suffering from worsening conditions of air and groundwater, both polluted by the scores of industrial units in the district. For instance, the PM10 concentration in Thoothukudi was 182 mg/m3 in 2016, according to Airpocalypse 2, a Greenpeace India study on air pollution. According to the National Ambient Air Quality standards notified by the Central Pollution Control Board the annual average for PM10 concentration is 60 mg/m3.

The protest against the Sterlite Copper unit was triggered by reports that the plant was planning to expand. In April it was learnt that the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board had denied the company’s plea that its Consent To Operate be renewed, on grounds that the company had been violating pollution norms for years. But the board had made no move to stop the company and other polluting units before.

The anger of Thoothukudi residents, then, is the result of the failure of the very mechanisms created to protect their interests. In the period the residents have been protesting, little to no attention has been devoted by the state towards addressing their grievances. It is this neglect that has resulted in anger spilling onto streets and the loss of lives. If governments, ostensibly elected to represent the interests of the people, fail to heed public grievances and protect public interest, people will lose faith in democratic means of raising their concerns.

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