Attacks – Others, Threats – Others
Tension prevailed at a public hearing organised to discuss the impact of illegal mining after a murderous attack on PUCL national general secretary V Suresh at Tirunelveli on Sunday.
The anti-corruption NGO, Arappor Iyakkam, has organised the public hearing and Suresh, a senior counsel has participated as Amicus Curiae of Madras High Court in the illegal mining case. The event was to discuss the impact of rampant and indiscriminate quarrying on the environment and livelihood of villagers in the southern districts.
Soon after the meeting commenced at a marriage hall in Kokkirakulam, Suresh was attacked with plastic chairs hitting his head and the hearing was suspended. He was among the panel of the public hearing which included an environmentalist, biodiversity expert and social activists.
When farmers from Radhapuram and Alangulam region reconted the hazards of mining like dust pollution affecting agriculture as well as cracks developing on their houses, a group of 25 men claiming to be advocates of stone quarries, disrupted the meeting. Disregarding the plea to wait, they started hurling the chairs, creating panic and commotion. They also threatened Arappor Iyakkam coordinator Jayaram Venkatesan to apologise for using the term ‘theft’ of natural resources.
