THOOTHUKUDI: Pottaloorani residents put up wall posters and banners on Friday announcing their boycott of the upcoming Assembly elections, contending that the district administration had failed to fulfil their years-long demands, including the closure of three fish meal companies, withdrawal of cases foisted against the protesters, and basic amenities. In protest, many residents hoisted black flags in front of their houses on Friday. In 2024, the residents boycotted the Lok Sabha elections, pressing for the same.
The villagers said they have been protesting continuously for the past 675 days against the fish meal companies, which, they alleged, have polluted the waterbodies and caused the persistent foul odour in the region. E Sankaranarayanan, a government school teacher and the coordinator of the agitation committee, said in a statement that the residents have been protesting for nearly two years since the LS elections in 2024, but the government remained a mute spectator.
This is our second election boycott, he told TNIE. A representation, consisting of 21 demands, has been sent to 22 departments and the governor, chief election officer, chief secretary, secretary to the department of forest and environment, chairman of the pollution control board, and the district collector, he added.
In connection with the agitation and the poll boycott in April 2024, the police registered 11 cases against the protesters. "All these cases were foisted to quell the agitation in favour of the three companies," said Sankaranarayanan, adding that the state also took departmental action against him for leading the agitation. "We also demanded the bifurcation of Pottaloorani village from the existing Ellainayakkanpatti panchayat, to ensure adequate revenue and government facilities; however, it has not been considered yet," he said.
Besides, the residents also staged a protest to stop all the buses at the Potaloorani bus stop, located on the Thoothukudi-Tirunelveli NH. The village is just two kilometres from the highway, but the buses, including private ones, often skip the stoppage, they claimed.