9 dead in police firing during anti-Sterlite protest in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi

At least nine people including a woman were killed and several injured in the police firing at the anti-Sterlite protest at Thoothukudi that entered 100th day on Tuesday. The firing took place when the protestors were attempting to take out a rally to lay siege to the district collectorate.

Despite Thoothukudi district collector clamped prohibitory orders under section 144 in view of the protest called by the villagers, the protestors who gathered in large numbers took out a massive rally violating the prohibitory orders and barricades erected by the police.

After the police failed attempt to disperse the crowd, the protestors who were demanding the shutting down of the Sterlite Copper Smelter Plant engaged in stone pelting and torched police vehicles and two-wheelers. A large number of protestors who managed to enter the collectorate overpowering police pelted stones damaging window panes of the office building and set on fire several government vehicles and employees two-wheelers.

Following the collectorate siege call was given by the protestors from 21 villages affected by the Sterlite plant, Collector N Venkatesh issued prohibitory orders on Monday and over 2,500 police personnel were deployed for security. While the government officials and police were able to make peace with a section of traders who agreed to hold a demonstration at SAV ground near Thoothukudi old bus stand but the villagers refused to budge and took out the rally as planned.

Most shops in Thoothukudi town had downed their shutters accepting the strike call given by Thoothukudi town central traders association. As the protest went out of control, the police personnel from the neighbouring districts were brought in to bring the situation under control.

Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami held an emergency meeting at the secretariat to take stock of the sudden development while DGP TK Rajendran asked the public not to panic over the violence in the district. “We have brought the situation under control,” he said, assuring to conduct an inquiry on whether there were any excesses on the part of the police.

Opposition parties including DMK blamed the AIADMK government and police for turning the peaceful protest into a violent one. "I strongly condemn the government for not providing adequate security, despite knowledge of the protest beforehand. In wake of these protests, the Tamil Nadu government should immediately ensure the closure of the Sterlite plant," DMK working president MK Stalin said.

Actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam condemned the police action of opening fire on the protestors. “The peaceful protest by the people of Tuticorin against Sterlite, demanding justice was ignored by the governments. Negligence of the government is the reason for all the unfortunate incidents. Citizens are not criminals. They are ones who lose their lives; earlier due to Sterlite and now due to the government’s order. Everybody should maintain peace!” it said in a statement. The actor had visited the anti-Sterlite protestors to express his solidarity on April 1.

Residents of A Kumarareddiyapuram, a village adjacent to the Sterlite Copper Smelting plant, have been protesting seeking an immediate shutdown of the plant and also to scrap the expansion plan citing severe pollution of air, water and soil. The protest got much need attention when the Thoothukudi town remained shut for a day on March 24 and ended with a public rally which attracted thousands of people. The plant has been closed from March 29 after the pollution control board refused to grant consent to operate licence.