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Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan during a mass satyagraha in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday demanding the Central Govt to adopt a stand against endosulfan
Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan began a 7-hour fast at the Martyr’s column here on Monday demanding ban on endosulfan and Central assistance to compensate the victims of endosulfan.
About 500 people from different walks of life including social and cultural leaders joined the fast here which is being held as part of the State-wide observation of the anti-endosulfan day under the auspices of the State Government. State Ministers are leading protests at district headquarters including Kasaragod where about 5000 people had been seriously affected by the pesticide.
The satyagrapha is being offered to coincide with the meeting of the conference of parties of Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants beginning in Geneva on Monday. The conference is to consider a global ban on the pesticide which caused more than 150 diseases mostly affecting the nervous, immune and the reproductive systems. Inaugurating the fast, the Chief Minister said that the danger from endosulfan is widening with more cases being reported from different parts of the State and outside.
In Karanataka, 96 villages had been affected Referring the Central government’s stand that a national ban was possible only if health problems were reported from other States also; the Chief Minister said that it was regrettable that the Centre chose to wait for more deaths. Endsosulfan was a poison that should not be allowed to be used anymore. However, even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had been misled by those supporting the pesticide lobby.
When the all-party delegation from the State met the Prime Minister seeking ban, Dr. Singh had unilaterally chosen to side with his Ministers who stood for the pesticide industry. Mr. Achuthanandan urged that the issue should be viewed and resolved above politics, as the issue concerned all.
However, some people were abusing the government for its stand for political reasons. Minister for Food and Civil Supplies presided and Minister for Public Works and Law, M. Vijayakumar welcomed the gathering.
BJP leader and former Union Minister of State O. Rajagopal, Education Minister M. A. Baby, film actor Suresh Gopi, members of Parliament and Assembly and several writers and artists were among those who joined the protest.
