A music video detailing the struggle of workers of the Hindustan Unilever thermometer factory in Kodaikanal and the mercury contamination of the area went viral on social media on Friday.
The rap song ‘Kodaikanal Won’t’, composed by Chennai-based rapper Sofia Ashraf, has been addressed to Unilever CEO Paul Polman. The music video is part of a new aggressive campaign launched by workers of the now shut factory and activists, who have been demanding rehabilitation and compensation for the workers and a thorough, clean up of the factory site to remove the mercury contamination.
At the launch of the song on Thursday, singer T.M. Krishna said activists in India were being portrayed as people against development. He said issues like those of Kodaikanal affect everyone and it was important to sustain the campaign and not be satisfied with mere symbolic gestures.
Lawyer R. Vaigai said the Madras High Court had not heard the case relating to Kodaikanal since 2013. While the workers were ready for a fair settlement, the compensation the company offered was unacceptable.
A recent study by Chennai-based Community Environment Monitoring found high levels of toxic mercury in vegetation and sediment collected in the vicinity of the closed factory.
The company had consistently maintained that it had not dumped glass waste contaminated with mercury behind the factory site.
‘Kodaikanal Won’t’, composed by rapper Sofia Ashraf, is addressed to Unilever CEO
