The Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham (PuKaSa), a forum of progressive artists and writers, took out a protest march and staged a dharna in front of the Accountant-General's Office here on Friday demanding a nation-wide ban on Endosulfan.
The protest was organised as part of the observance of Human Rights Day. The Sangham members marched from the VJT Hall to the Accountant-General's Office reciting poems against Endosulfan.
The dharna was inaugurated by filmmaker T. V. Chandran. In his inaugural address, Mr. Chandran narrated his experiences of filming in the Endosulfan-affected village of Swarga in Kasaragod district. “I saw them two years ago and it is disheartening to know that a proper solution has not yet been reached,” the veteran filmmaker said.
Kanayi Kunhiraman, in his address to the gathering, observed that the government was not taking necessary steps and precautions due to the long geographical distance between Kasaragod district and the capital.
‘We shall not wait'
Ninan Koshy pointed out that India was the only country that opposed the ban on Endosulfan under the Stockholm Convention. “We should not wait till a full scientific certainty is reached so as to ban this dangerous pesticide,” he said.
He called for an immediate national ban on Endosulfan which has ‘unacceptable high risk,' rather than ‘never-ending' studies on the effect of the pesticide.
PuKaSa general secretary V.N. Murali delivered the welcome speech. Poets who had gathered for the dharna recited their poems on Endosulfan.
