KOCHI: This is slavery, not to speak one’s thought.
–Euripides, ancient Greek tragedian
It’s been over 10 days since Kochi began choking on toxic fumes from the massive fire that broke out at the Brahmapuram waste plant on March 2. About 800 people have had to seek medical aid so far, according to official records. Many have left the city due to health concerns.
With reports highlighting apathy, negligence and an alleged political nexus behind the disaster, there is palpable anger among the people. It’s not just about politicians. Notably, there has been considerable anger against several ‘vocal’ celebrities and civil society figures who chose to keep mum over the issue.
Social media users accused them of hypocrisy and selective outrage. Many netizens alleged that the very same people, who are usually quick to comment on national and international socio-political issues, tend to look away when it comes to rot in their own backyard.
Under pressure, it seemed, some celebrities, including actor Mammootty, finally broke their silence over the weekend. Notably, this happened at a time when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan — who had appeared to stay aloof on Brahmapuram — was seen extending his “revolutionary greetings” to Xi Jinping on his reelection as Chinese president for the third time on Sunday.
The pertinent questions, however, remained: Why such a delayed social response? Why no calls for accountability? Why the hesitance to speak out when needed?
“Fear,” sums up a young Kochi-based businessman, requesting anonymity. “People in my family have been suffering; I have a toddler at home. I was itching to post my frustration on social media. But, I have to admit, I was scared of retaliation. Even a local-level leader or a corporation councillor of the ruling party is capable of harming my business. That’s how the system is. Why do you think all those celebs were quiet?”
Outspoken actor Hareesh Peradi believes that the socio-cultural stage of Kerala has been “hijacked” by a powerful majority. “They only speak about issues with vested interests. And only among those who are ready to accept them or follow them,” he says.
“Only a few lone voices rise against this system. But, they rarely get visibility. This is the truth we are living. Art and artists should lead society and speak for the masses. What we see here is people toeing the line for benefits. Many artists refrain from speaking out for fear of repercussions. Will happen if you speak out? Nothing, trust me. Many cultural leaders and celebrated artists fail society by keeping mum in fear or for individual benefits.”
Actor Sajitha Madathil, who was among the first to publicly speak out on the issue, believes not many people initially viewed Brahmapuram as a big problem. “This is air pollution, which doesn’t affect us like, say, a flood,” she adds.
“Many of my vocal friends haven’t been speaking about the situation. They feel like the issue is not that big. I, however, believe the issue is and should be dealt with like the Bhopal tragedy.” Sajitha also highlights the issue of placing personal politics above public welfare. “Many of us tend to remain, mum, when we feel, the political party we support will be under fire. Why?” she asks.
“In an issue that directly affects a large number of common people, we should avoid this mentality. That is how we should function in a democratic society. We need to respond, be vocal and make sure the culprits are punished. If we look at every issue through partisan eyes, we will continue to pay the price, be it pollution or human rights violations.”
Filmmaker Don Palathara, who left Kochi a week ago due to health concerns, agrees. “My flat is in Eroor and the air was really bad there. The smell of plastic burning was intense, our flat was engulfed in smoke. Since my daughter already has an allergy issue we came to Kottayam temporarily,” he says.
“There are many common people who cannot move out of their homes, and are still stuck there, breathing in that poisonous air. It took at least a week for many to wake up to the issue. When we come across serious issues, it is imperative for us to show up and mark our protest. There should be no ambivalence.”
‘Not just Brahmapuram’
Advocate A Jayashankar points out that there have been several such cases that were ignored in the past. “For example, in a village named Thattupara in Ernakulam, once there was a 100-day strike against illegal quarrying. It was the women who were protesting. No one paid any attention,” he says.
“Finally, on the 125th day, the protestors invited [CPM veteran] V S Achuthanandan. Then the issue blew up. If a local protest has to come in the news, a ‘V S’ has to reach there. The same was the case at Vilappilsala in Thiruvananthapuram.”
In the case of Brahmapuram, Jayasankar adds, environmental concerns have been raised for several years. “But the city had to dump the waste somewhere, and the protesters were villagers. So no one cared,” he says. Now when the city folks are choking, politicians are missing from action, he adds.
“Why? Because all are party to the corruption at the plant… LDF, UDF, and BJP — all have vested interests.”
‘Silence is very loud’
Budding writer Aadhi believes selective outrage is an unhealthy social reality in Kerala. “Take issues like the recent death of tribal youth Viswanathan at Kozhikode Medical College. He was attacked by people alleging theft. Was there any public outrage? No. The same was the case with the protests at K R Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts and the caste wall (jathi mathil) at Vadayampady,” he says.
“The outrage from mainstream society has been feeble in several such cases. “The silence, at times, is very loud.”Poet Aleena also notes selective outrage is not something new. “Take the Walayar case involving two minor girls. We paid attention only when the mother decided to contest against Pinarayi in the 2021 assembly election,” she says.
“Many don’t want to react when the issue doesn’t directly affect them. Then there are economic and caste angles. Above all, politics. Last year, a school teacher was accused of abusing minor students at a school in Malappuram. There were not many prime-time debates or Facebook posts. Apparently, he was a local-level CPM leader. Why should we take into account the political affiliations of the culprit in such vile cases?”
Aleena points to the land rights protests of tribal communities. “No one paid any attention, even the so-called liberals,” she says. “If you raise your voice against some political factions, there are plenty who will attack you. Political parties, especially CPM supporters in Kerala, dominate cyberspace. It is difficult for others to speak out, especially against the Left government.”
‘Collective consciousness has deteriorated’
Political observer Sreejith Panickar believes this “partisan mentality” is deeply ingrained among Malayalis. “We tend to not speak out if the party we support is in the dock,” he notes. “I have seen many vocal people online trying to defend the government in absurd ways. In the Brahmapuram case, for instance, there were tweets about how the issue is not that big in Kochi, and that the air quality of the city is better than that of Thrissur. This kind of servitude to political organisations — be it CPM, Congress or BJP — is against humanity.”
Writer and activist Sunny
M Kapicadu says Malayalis don’t pick and choose issues. “Instead, we choose to respond based on which party is involved or in power — even if common people suffer in front of our eyes. Our collective consciousness has deteriorated,” he says.
“If we continue to be selective in our responses, we will never find sustainable solutions to any issues. The politicians will go on with the blame game. Unless people grow beyond political boundaries when it comes to issues like Brahmapuram, the rot will remain.”