After a month-long hiatus, the anti-GAIL gas pipeline action committee resumed its protests against the laying of the gas pipeline at Nellikkaparamba, near Mukkom, in the district on Tuesday.
About 350 people, including a few women and children, took part in the protests in spite of the heavy police deployment across the region. The protesters took out a peaceful march from Nellikkaparamba to the worksite. They were blocked by the police on the Kodiyathur road.
The resumption of the agitation raised fears that it would lead to confrontation with the police because of the previous experience at Eranhimavu on November 1.
Congress leader M.I. Shavanas, MP, who addressed the protesters, flayed the Left Democratic Front government for suppressing mass protests using the police and added that he would raise the issue in Parliament. The government should have deployed the police for search and rescue of Ockhi victims instead of using the force against the anti-GAIL protesters, he said.
C.P. Cheriya Mohammed, State convener of the committee, said the agitators were not against development. But they would intensify their struggle to secure compensation from the government. “We are planning to rope in Congress leader Oommen Chandy and CPI(M) veteran V.S. Achuthanandan to our protest,” he said.
So far the government has not offered the package of ₹5 lakh to people having less than 10 cents of land. A few help desks formed after a government-initiated peace meeting were only for namesake. “The people want the GAIL authorities to shift the alignment of the pipeline route from thickly-populated areas,” Mr. Mohammed said.
He alleged that the police had created a curfew-like situation in the entire area erecting barricades at Koolimadu, Kallanthode, Arekkode and Mukkom, checking and diverting vehicles. At least 50 agitation leaders had been threatened with notices from the Koduvally Circle Inspector that criminal cases would be charged against them if the situation went out of control during the protest.
GAIL had temporarily suspended work at Kodiyathur and Karassery grama panchayats. However, a 4-km area had been marked and occupied for laying the pipelines. Director General of Police (North Kerala) Rajesh Dewan, who was camping at the site, said about 500 police personnel under the leadership of senior officers had been deployed in the area to avert any untoward incident. Another 100 women personnel specifically trained for anti-rioting and mob control were also positioned to meet any eventuality. “Instructions have been given to officers not to use any force. Special squads have been formed to visit households and interact with the protesters. We have to execute the High Court order on implementation of the GAIL pipeline project,” he said.
