The Hindu : Kerala News : Appeal against court order: Medha

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Appeal against court order: Medha

Staff Reporter

Left told to take up the matter at United Progressive Alliance meetings

`SHUT IT DOWN:' The environmentalist Medha Patkar addressing Green activists in front of the Secretariat on Tuesday during the campaign against the Plachimada plant of Coca-Cola. Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Medha Patkar, environmental activist, has asked the Government of Kerala to go in for appeal against the order of the Kerala High Court, directing the Perumatty grama panchayat to reconsider its decision to close down the Coca-Cola plant there.

The issue was just not pertaining to one panchayat or one factory, but it had wider ramifications and more serious dimensions, she said. If the State Government was not prepared to file an appeal per se, it should at least be party to the Perumatty panchyat's case. The Coca-Cola factory, the functioning of which has been opposed by the local communities there, should be closed down for good, she demanded.

Talking to the media here on Tuesday, after inaugurating the indefinite stir launched by the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) in front of the Government secretariat, she reiterated that the agitation would be made more broad-based with more and more organisations joining it in the days to come. It would soon assume national as well as global dimensions, basically on account of the fact that the issue related to the indiscriminate exploitation of water and privatisation of natural resources.

Common man's struggle

"It is a struggle of the common man in defence of his legitimate rights. It is a protest against multinationals and corporate powers expropriating people's resources, water, as well as land, forests, fish and minerals," she remarked. The corporates should not be allowed to encroach upon people's lives, livelihood and life-supporting resources under the cover of any law. The proposal of the World Bank to launch a $ 800-million project in the country to exploit its water resources should also be viewed with concern.

The cola factory in Perumatty has been polluting the waters and its effluents and sludge, affecting the crops in the locality. The Kerala State Pollution Control Board, that had already conducted a detailed investigation and monitored the situation was convinced of such a damage being caused by the plant. The CSE's research and the JPC's findings too have only reinforced the observations of the PCB. It was now for the State Government to take cognizance of the PCB's report and initiate steps to close down the factory for ever without any further delay, Ms. Patkar said.

She wanted the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, to ban Coke and Pepsi in Kerala as done by the Minister for Railways, Laloo Prasad, in railway stations and trains. Instead, alternative, locally available natural drinks should be promoted. She also appealed to the Left parties to take up the issue at the UPA meetings.

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