THE real instigators of Thoothukkudi firing should not be let out from the ambit of enquiry, urged K Balakrishnan, CPI(M) state secretary at a convention held in Chennai on November 2. The convention was organised by the South Chennai district committee of CPI(M) following the report on the firing by Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission that was recently submitted to the state government.

The people of Thoothukudi and adjoining villages were for long fighting against the Sterlite company management for repeated violations of statutory rules and for making the life of the people in the area difficult. They demanded the closure of the copper melting factory. They held a sit-in demonstration for nearly 100 days. On May 22, 2018, an indiscriminate firing by the policemen in plainclothes killed 13 people (one more died later) and injured more than 100 on that day.

While elaborating various points of the Commission report, Balakrishnan said that most of the enquiry commissions constituted by the governments used to toe the line of the state’s version in their reports in order to whitewash the criminal acts and enable the culprits to escape from the clutches of law. However, Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission report exposed the real nature of the crime. The Commission reiterated that the state machinery has functioned as a tool of Vedanta Industries and executed this dastardly crime on the people. In the 100 years history of Tamil Nadu, this incident is the first one where 13 people were shot dead on a particular issue on a single day.

While the commission has recommended severe departmental action on concerned revenue and police officials, it is very much essential, to ensure justice in the issue, to bring in former CM Edappadi Palanisamy and Vedanta Industries into the enquiry ring and decide upon their culpability in this barbaric act, said Balakrishnan.

The general secretary, Thamizhar Peravai of Dravidian Movement, Suba.  Veerapandian pointed out that it was the CPI(M) which steadfastly fought against the injustices heaped upon the people of Thoothukudi in various fora and was instrumental in the constitution of this enquiry commission by the state government and hoped that the Party will take this movement further. Senior journalist Jenram said that today’s rulers are oppressing people in many ways, coining new terms for their dastardly actions. The democratic sphere is also getting shrunk due to a biased media.

CPI(M) state secretariat member N Gunasekaran said that the Vedanta company was able to violate all statutory rules because of the complaint state administration. This report helps to mobilise people against corporate misdeeds and dominance over the lives people, he said.

South Chennai district committee secretary, R Velmurugan, while presiding over the convention informed that the CPI(M) filed a case before the Madras High Court seeking its intervention on the issue.