The more than two-year-old protest against the building of a jetty and tankers for cooking gas reception and storage on Puthuvype Island took a new turn on Monday with hundreds of women, children, and men holding a protest meeting on Rajendra Maidan in the heart of Ernakulam to make clear their views on the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) project.
Leaders of various political parties and activists participated in the meeting that began with songs asserting the protesters’ rights. Former KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran said it was not a protest against a project but against the violation of laws.
CPI(M) veteran V.S. Achuthanandan, who was scheduled to inaugurate the meeting, skipped the meet, but sent a message, which was read out at the venue. He reiterated his solidarity with the protesters. He said development should not be against people and people’s anxieties had to be addressed.