Arappor Iyakkams public listening to on quarrying affect suspended mid-way following assault on PUCL common secretary

Tense moments prevailed at a public listening to organised by Arappor Iyakkam on Sunday to debate the affect of indiscriminate quarrying on atmosphere and livelihood of villagers within the areas.

After V. Suresh, nationwide common secretary, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), was attacked with a plastic chair, which hit his head, the listening to was suspended mid-way.

The assembly was held at a non-public marriage corridor at Kokkirakulam. Mr. Suresh, N. Udhayarajan, director of Uvakai Research Foundation, Nandakumar Shiva of Thannatchi, Thanigaivel, bio-diversity knowledgeable, and I. Nandhini, social activist, attended as panel members. They highlighted the challenges and examined the affect of mining.

As the assembly started, farmers from Radhapuram and Alangulam taluk expressed concern over quarrying of their villages. They highlighted points corresponding to cracks growing in homes, mud air pollution affecting agricultural yield, and irregular water provide in irrigation channels.

Tension grew when round 25 males claiming to be advocates of stone quarries and quarry house owners disrupted the assembly, as villagers started voicing their grievances. They have been requested to attend till the villagers had completed and current their counter-views later. However, they all of the sudden erupted, hurling plastic chairs and creating panic on the venue.

Arappor Iyakkam coordinator Jayaram Venkatesan was requested by the group to apologise for utilizing the time period ‘theft’ of pure sources. When he refused, they additional triggered ruckus and continued to disrupt the proceedings.

“The complete concept behind the commotion was to disrupt the assembly and terrorise the villagers for talking the true information about mining,” Mr. Suresh instructed The Hindu.

Those accountable have been provoked as a result of the assembly might expose the environmental and livelihood affect of unlawful mining and their motive was to stop the dialogue. Some advocates allowed the disturbance to proceed to make sure that the assembly didn’t proceed additional, he added.

Mr. Venkatesan stated though the organisers initially deliberate to proceed the occasion, the venue proprietor requested them to name it off. A proper grievance could be filed towards the miscreants with the Tirunelveli police.