Thursday, Jun 16, 2005
Thursday, Jun 16, 2005 |
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Special Correspondent
V.M. Sudheeran... in no mood to give up.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran has said that the State Government's credibility will be at stake if its decisions are influenced by a desire to please `mafia groups.' Mr. Sudheeran was inaugurating a discussion on issues related to the mineral-sand mining project organised here on Wednesday by the Latin Catholic Aikya Vedi. His remark comes in the context of the Government's move to allow mineral-sand mining in the coastal villages of Arattupuzha and Thrikkunnapuzha in Alappuzha district, which were ravaged by tsunami waves last December. He said the Oommen Chandy Government should do some introspection on why the United Democratic Front (UDF) had to suffer a big trouncing in the recent byelections in Koothuparamba and Azhikode constituencies. "I wish it will open the Government's eyes, because, as a Congressman, I am pained by what is happening... he Government should avoid doing things that erode people's confidence in it," he said. He said the shock of the tsunami tragedy was yet to vanish from the minds of the people. The survivors of the tragedy had still not been rehabilitated properly. The Government, however, was in a terrible hurry to trade off mineral sand of the coastal stretch where the tsunami waves had wrought death and destruction. He said the Justice John Mathew Committee, appointed by the Government to study the advisability of allowing mining in these villages, while preparing its report, had done nothing more than "compile the pro-mining arguments of the mineral-sand mafia." The committee did not have in it experts in vital disciplines, such as oceanography, environmental science and fisheries, to look into what the impact of mining will be along this stretch most vulnerable to the vagaries of the sea. Referring to Industries Minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju's claim on Tuesday that there was an absolute consensus in favour of the mining project, Mr. Sudheeran said: "Everyone knows his background before he became a Minister. He was servile to the mineral-sand mafia then. Now, he is officially obsequious to this mafia." He said the people behind the mining proposal were adept at manipulating the procedures of the Government and purchasing opinions. "I was asked why I had not deposed before the Justice John Mathew Committee if I had objections against the mining project. It is meaningless to present one's views before a committee in which one has no confidence." "Nobody is opposed to development. There has been a lot of talk in recent times about the need for a change in the mindset of the people of the State. But it is the mindset of those in power that has to change first. Plachimada, a village where Coca-Cola is having a bottling plant, has shown how the pursuit of development neglecting the environment can push the people of an area into misery," he said.
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