TIRUVANANTHAPURAM : She is a prominent face behind the Tuticorin Anti-Sterlite Movement. An environmentalist and social activist, Fatima Babu has been involved in social justice activism since the time she remembers. For Fatima, who grew up watching her mother engage in social welfare activities, fighting for justice comes naturally. She has been imprisoned but as long as it is a service to the people, Fatima is never affected.
It has been 23 years since Fatima started fighting the Vedanta Conglomerate, against their Sterlite Copper Plant in Tuticorin. Fatima says, “This struggle started years back when the plant was first set up. The difference between then and now is that we had to create awareness amongst the public about the dangers of the industry. But today, they themselves have come up and protested.” She says that this happened as a result of people realising how bad things have turned to, with increasing diseases like cancer
and organ failure in every household and the water in the area turning yellow and polluted.
She was there in the city to lead a workshop on Thursday.
The Tamil Nadu High Court has passed an order staying the construction of the plant’s second unit. “But this decision could have been made long back before so many of the protestors lost their lives and before the place turned polluted. The protestors had a hard time with the police force attacking them. There were splits among themselves that were purposefully instigated from the outside, to ward them off from their cause,” says Fatima.
Despite having so many cases filed against her over the period of the issue, which she says are forged, Fatima has stuck with the protestors. She continues to fight for justice, leading the people of Tuticorin. “I prefer to die protesting for them, rather than due to old age or sickness,” she says.
Won’t stop the Movement
The anti-Sterlite protests will continue, said Fatima Babu. Addressing a group of socio-environmental association members and activists here the other day, anti-Sterlite movement leader asserted that the 23-year-old movement would continue. She said contrary to speculations, the struggle for justice is not nascent and that the recent violence was not triggered by the protestors. In fact, it was a result of the conspiracy of the company and the police force that led to the deaths of the 13 people during the protest, she added.
Speaking at the Joint Council Hall, she mentioned that so far they received political support only from the CPI. Notable in this respect is also the contribution by CPI leader Appadurai MP who fought legal battles against the company in the Supreme Court. Only recently have other parties offered their support now that the situation there has turned crucial. The Tamil Nadu Government had to shut down the company following the nation-wide protests against the recent violence. However, the company can easily appeal to higher courts against this shut-down. Therefore, mass protest is the only option left with the public, she said. Over the period of struggle, Fatima Babu and other activists have been charged with several cases.