Sections of students of K.L.N. College of Engineering and Mangayarkarasi College of Engineering near here staged protests in front of their respective colleges to express solidarity with the people of Neduvasal in Pudukottai district, who have been opposing the proposed hydrocarbon extraction project in the region.
Though the students attempted a road blockade, they soon dispersed from the road after police asked them not to disrupt vehicular traffic.
Minister for Cooperation ‘Sellur’ K. Raju, who happened to be crossing Mangayarkarasi College of Engineering, spoke to the protesting students outside the college and assured them that the Tamil Nadu government would not permit any projects that would affect the livelihood of farmers.
A. Sathish, a third year student of the college, said almost all the students of the college came out to protest and even the college management was supportive. “If a solution is not found to the problem, we will intensify the protest in association with students of other colleges in a manner similar to the pro-jallikattu protest,” he said.
S. Raj Prakash, a final year student, said that a petition was also submitted at the Collector’s office with signatures of nearly 200 students, urging the government to stop the project.
A student of K.L.N. College of Engineering, speaking on anonymity, said that they had to give up the protest midway since they had not obtained police permission for the protest. “We are planning to seek police permission and carry out the protest in a bigger way,” he said.
Meanwhile, some 300 students of Sree Sowdamika College of Engineering staged a road roko in front of their college, pressing for the same demand.
However, police officials persuaded them to move away from Madurai-Thoothukudi National Highway. The protesters shouted slogans for a couple of hours before leaving the college, the police said.
