Various activists and leaders belonging to the National Alliance for People’s Movement (NAPM) on Saturday strongly condemned the police firing that killed 13 people during the anti-Sterlite agitation in May.
They were addressing workers and activists in Thoothukudi as part of the Samvidhan Samman Yatra.
Prafulla Samantara, an activist from Niyamgiri in Odisha who fought against the setting up of a bauxite mine by the Vedanta group there, said that the government should act according to the wishes of the people.
The tour, held to commemorate the Salt Satyagraha, started from Dandi in Gujarat on October 2 and would reach Delhi on December 10 after touring 26 States. The yatra is aimed at improving the participation of people in democracy and upholding the Constitutional principles.
Condemning the killing of the protesters, Mr. Samantara said that activists had to ensure their own safety. He said that attempts had been made on his life during the protests.
“The Central government is acting in favour of the Vedanta group, which has donated ₹1,400 crore to the BJP from 2014 to 2016,” he said, pointing out that the agitation in Thoothukudi led to Vedanta getting delisted from the London Stock Exchange.
Soumya Dutta, a green activist and researcher, said that the effluents from copper industries also affect the salt industry and fish in the sea that people consume.
Aid for salt pan workers
Mr. Dutta said that the NAPM would provide all support for various people’s movements across India. “It is very important to keep the ground-level activism alive,” he said.
M. Krishnamoorthy, district coordinator of the Unorganised Workers Federation, said that the State government should act swiftly to set up a board for the welfare of salt pan workers and provide financial assistance during the rainy season.
The members of the forum observed a two-minute silence for those killed during the gunfire. A number of leaders including anti-nuclear activist S.P. Udayakumar, Sandeep Pandey, a social activist and recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, and a number of other activists from across the country participated.