The Kerala Chief Minister, Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, has found fault with the Prime Minister for riding roughshod over simmering public opinion in the State to precipitate a decision favouring the use of pesticide endosulfan.
Spraying of endosulfan in the plantations of Kasaragod is alleged to have caused deaths and deformities among the local population in the district's rural outback.
Concerted campaign
A concerted campaign has been mounted by civil right groups, environmental activists and opinion-makers to force a ban on the use of the pesticide in the country.
The Chief Minister observed a seven-hour fast at the Marty's Column here on Monday to mark the high-point of this campaign. He was joined by hundreds of people from different walks of life.
The Chief Minister also flagged the issue of grant of Central assistance to compensate the ‘victims' of endosulfan.
In his speech delivered on the occasion, Mr Achuthanandan recalled that when an all-party delegation from the State met the Prime Minister to press the issue, he had merely chosen to look the other way.
Endsosulfan has been proved to be a poison, the Chief Minister said, and should not be allowed to be used anymore.
However, even the Prime Minister has been misled to taking a contra-indicative decision by those supporting the pesticide lobby.
The Chief Minister said that there are enough reasons to doubt the intentions of at least some of the Union Ministers in this connection.
Mr Achuthanandan urged that the issue need to be reviewed and people should rise above politics to find a settlement since it mattered to all.
The Chief Minister regretted that some people were still bent on abusing the seat of power to influence the decision one way or the other.
The danger from endosulfan is evolving rapidly than before with more cases being reported from different parts of the State and outside, he said.
The Chief Minister's fast was part of the observation of the ‘anti-endosulfan day' under the auspices of the State Government.
His ministerial colleagues lead the protests at district headquarters including Kasaragod where it is estimated that 5,000 people have been seriously affected by the use of the pesticide.
The event was held to also coincide with the meeting of the conference of parties of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants that begins in Geneva on Monday.
Global ban
The conference would consider a global ban on the pesticide which has reportedly triggered more than 150 afflictions mostly damaging the nervous system, immune functions and reproductive organs.
Among those who attended the event here was the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Mr C. Divakaran; Minister for Public Works, Mr M. Vijayakumar; Minister for Education, Mr M. A. Baby, and other senior political leaders, artists and writers.