Representative Image of sand mining.
Credit: DH Photo
The Income Tax expose of political parties in Kerala accepting donations from a controversial mining firm has upset the coastal communities of Kollam and Alappuzha districts of south Kerala who have been agitating over the last many years against the rampant mineral sand mining allegedly involving the same firm.
Many politicians in the payee list of Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL), which was exposed by Income Tax department, had even taken part in the stirs against the sand mining.
The agitators are not much shocked over the fresh revelations as the cold response of the political parties towards the stir was sufficient reason to assume their nexus with the mining lobbies. They demand a judicial probe or a CBI probe into the political - mining lobby nexus.
"What came out so far is just the tip of the iceberg of the financial dealing of the mineral sand lobbies with politicians. A detailed CBI probe or judicial probe will unearth the deep rooted unholy nexus," said Suresh Kumar, leader of the anti-mining action council of Thottappally in Alappuzha.
While an indefinite stir against the mining at Thottappally region of Alappuzha district is going on for more than two years, an indefinite stir at Alappad region of neighbouring Kollam district ended after 14 months owing to the lack of response from the political leaderships.
The sand mining activities were initiated at Thottappally by citing development of the spillway for flood management of nearby Kuttanad region. But loads of mineral-rich sand were allegedly being smuggled by the lobbies.
People of Alappad in Kollam launched a relay hunger stir on November 1, 2018 alleging that the their village was shrinking from about 90 square kilometre in 1955 to hardly nine square-kilometre now due to the indiscriminate mining
"Many politicians, including Congress leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala, (who are among those who received funds from CMRL) had visited the stirs. But the cold response of the political leadership forced the agitators to end the indefinite stir after around 14 months," said action council leader K C Sreekumar.
The intense stirs against the rampant mineral sand mining at Kollam and Alappuzha coastal areas dates back to more than a decade. Though public sector undertakings Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited and Indian Rare Earths Limited are mainly engaged in the mining, it was alleged that lobbies involving CMRL managing director Sasidharan Kartha was involved in the indiscrete mineral sand mining that poses threat to many coastal villages.
"Mineral sand is a natural resource and hence it has to be utilised properly instead of allowing a few private lobbies to exploit it," said Sreekumar.