The anti-Sterlite protest in Thoothukudi marks the continuation of a trend of “hierarchy-less bodies” spearheading agitations over the last one and a half years, according to a cross-section of politicians, civil rights activists and administrators.
The trend, which became more apparent in the post-Jayalalithaa period, could be seen during the jallikattu protests of January 2017 and in the subsequent protests against oil and natural gas projects in Neduvasal and Kathiramangalam. Some of the groups, such as the ‘Makkal Adhikaram’ (Authority of People) and the Revolutionary Youth Front, were said to have taken part in the agitation in Thoothukudi on Tuesday, during which 13 persons were killed in police firing.
“The trend does upset established political parties,” says a senior DMK legislator from the southern belt. Unlike the DMK and the AlADMK, which operate within the limits of well-defined structures of leadership, the groups that were behind the agitation in Thoothukudi are “amorphous,” the legislator explains.
Acknowledging the prevalence of such a trend, K. Balakrishnan, secretary of the State unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), points out that even earlier, people in some places spontaneously registered their protest against a project, a scheme or a measure taken by the authorities. “However, any agitation can acquire a larger impact only when political parties get involved. Otherwise, it remains a local affair.”
‘No radical groups’
But V. Suresh, national general secretary of the People's Union for Civil Liberties, says the trend only reflects the fact that the people have lost faith in the existing political parties, which compromise, at one point of time or the other, their positions on such issues. He denies the suggestion that there were “radical groups” behind the protests with “ulterior motives.” In parts of Chennai, a group called Voice of People is being run by women, well-educated and qualified, he says.
An AIADMK leader, who hails from a northern district, feels what is obvious is that the leaders of the party in Thoothukudi have failed to engage with the locals and act as interlocutors between the government and the people. Such a failure provides the scope for the groups to establish themselves and justify their actions.
