Kerala - Kollam   

Anti-mining stir touches 1,000 days

KOLLAM: The agitation launched by people of Velichikala near here demanding a ban on clay mining operations by a private company in the area touched 1,000 days on Saturday.

On the occasion, the Velichikala Action Council, which is leading the agitation, organised a solidarity convention here in which leading environment and human rights activists attended.

Inaugurating the convention, social activist GROW Vasu said that at a time when hundreds of people are landless, all support was being extended by the administration to the land mafia.

“When people come together, demanding conservation of drinking water and the right to healthy life, they are being branded as militants,” Mr. Vasu added, calling for ban on clay mining in Velichikala.

Mr. Vasu said that the mining was creating serious environmental and health problems.

Earlier, the Left parties took up issues concerning the people, but of late, they sided with the mafia, he alleged.

The meeting was presided over by patron of the action council Odanavattom Vijayaprakash.

Former acting chairman of the State Human Rights Commission S. Balaraman, poet Kureepuzha Sreekumar, State secretary of Solidarity M. Sajith, among others were present.

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