CHENNAI: The State government’s job is not done just by passing an order to close down Sterlite’s copper plant at Thoothukudi, says Vaiko, MDMK general secretary. Only by carefully fighting a legal battle against the company it will be ensured that the plant is not reopened, he told Express in freewheeling chat on the issue.
The recent phase of the anti-Sterlite protest could be mostly a people-led one. But, Vaiko was one of the early political leaders to have started the protests against Sterlite plant and led a prolonged legal battle. Excerpts from his interview to Express:
Is it the first victory for the people against Sterlite?
No, before 1994, the Sterlite copper smelting plant valued about `300 crore was razed down by the people of Maharashtra even though they got the licence from the then Sharad Pawar-led Maharashtra government. Following the incident, Maharashtra government cancelled their licence. But, Sterlite didn’t go to court to get back the government licence as they realised that the people of Maharashtra will not allow them to operate the plant. That’s the victory of the Maharashtra people as they were fully aware about the impact of the plant. Likewise, people of Thoothukudi and Tamil Nadu are now aware of the plant’s hazardous impact.
How was your experience of legal battle against Sterlite?
The plant had visibly violated two mandatory rules. Firstly the plant should be established 25 km away from the sea shore as various protected marine creatures and coral reefs exist in the area. Secondly, a green belt should be established in the premises of the plant at a width of 250 metres to protect the environment. But, the plant has been established at 15 km from the shore and the green belt had been set up for only a width of 25 metres. By these two visible violations and other environmental pollution, we got the closure order against the Sterlite in 2013. But, even though the Supreme Court accepted our argument, they permitted to operate the plant to fulfill the copper need of the country as the Sterlite made several intensive efforts to get a favourable order.
Did the State government support you when you were engaged in the legal battle?
Till 2012, December, the Tamil Nadu government pro-actively supported the operation of the Sterlite. But, they changed their tone after March, 29, 2013 when hundreds of Thoothukudi residents suffered suffocation and fainted due to leakage of toxic gas from Sterlite. Following which, the State government filed a writ petition against Sterlite, after I filed a petition. Now, the State government should carefully pursue the legal battle against the plant as the organisation will go to any extent to resume operation.
What would be the reaction of Thoothukudi people if they fail in legal battle?
The people of Thoothukudi will converge and dismantle the plant like how Maharashtra people did against the plant during the early 90s if the court fail to stop the operation of the plant permanently. This is what many people told me when I visited the victims on 22nd, when the police firing occurred, and 23rd morning. They said that they won’t be thwarted by the shooting. The people of Thoothukudi are ready to brave the bullets. That’s why I said that the plant would be dismantled by the people.
What do you think about concerns raised by industrialists over the shutting of the plant?
They are speaking about the sustainable development. We also agree with the concept of sustainable development. But, we differ with them on the question of at what cost? We must never agree to destroy our natural resources and livelihood in the name of development.