The agitation against the City Corporation's garbage-treatment plant at Vilappilsala received a shot in the arm on Saturday, with speakers at a convention expressing solidarity with the stir and calling for a shut down of the project.
Inaugurating the convention, educationist and social activist N.A. Karim called for a State-wide movement to liberate the ‘blighted' Vilappil village from the curse of having to bear tonnes of solid waste generated by the city. He warned that the plight of the suburban village would come to haunt the city itself in future.
“Neither the City Corporation nor the government can evade responsibility for exposing local residents to health hazards. A mass movement, like the ones that led to the ouster of the cola company at Plachimada and the ban on the use of endosulfan, has become imperative to save the village from the curse of garbage,” Dr. Karim said.
Sculptor and artist Kanayi Kunhiraman, who presided over the function, said city residents would support the people of Vilappil. Political and social analyst B.R.P. Bhaskar said the Vilappil agitation would help to link up similar protest movements at other places in Kerala.
The convention was organised by the Kerala Samsthana Janakeeya Prathirodha Samithi.
Vilappilsala Kanakeeya Samithi president Burhan, Solidarity district president Amir Kandal, Socialist Unity Centre of India district secretary G.S. Padmakumar and Kerala Swathantra Matsya Thozhilali Federation State president T. Peter were among those who spoke. The convention constituted Vilappilsala Solidarity Committee with Dr. Karim as patron and Mr. Kanayi Kunhiraman as chairman.
