Assurance Given to Endosulfan Victims Fulfilled

Any government worth its name has to be responsive and responsible. Responsive to the grievances of people, their sufferings and pain. And responsible for redressing those grievances and lifting their pain. Unfortunately the previous UDF Government under Shri. A.K. Antony and Shri. Oommen Chandy callously refused to respond to the miseries of endosulfan victims of Kasaragod.

The insecticide endosulfan was sprayed continuously for two decades in the 30,000 odd acre cashew plantation in Kasaragod under the Plantation Corporation of Kerala. The use of endosulfan caused fatal diseases and death among the people all around three neighbouring panchayats. The most affected were the people Enmagaje and Moozhiyar.

The condition of those who escaped the cruel dance of death in these Panchayats was worse than death. They were helpless beings with horrible deformities and genetic disorders. The incidence of cancer, neurotic disorders and failure of various organs were widespread. When Shri. V.S. Achuthanandan visited the place in July 2004 as opposition leader the activists for protection of environment showed to him a photo album of people suffering from maladies caused by endosulfan. The images were heart-rending. Later he presented the matter before the Legislative Assembly and demanded an immediate ban on the use of endosulfan. However, the Agriculture Minister, Smt. Gouri Amma took an adamant stand and tried to evade the problem saying it was a matter to be decided by the Centre. The speaker of the Assembly himself was moved by the pitiful photographs of the suffering people. He wanted to give written instruction to public undertakings not to use endosulfan even if the state did not have the power to ban it. Thereupon the Agriculture Minister gave assurance to the Assembly that the Plantation Corporation would be given instructions not to use endosulfan in its cashew plantations.

This assurance to State Legislature was better broken than observed by the Agriculture Minister. The Agriculture Department did not issue an order preventing the corporation from using endosulfan. Consequently the matter was brought before the High Court through a petition. The court ordered a temporary ban on the use of endosulfan. Meantime, under pressure from the manufacturers of endosulfan, the Central Government instituted a commission under ICAR scientist Dubey to study the subject and submit a report. A strange thing about this committee was that two experts from the endosulfan manufacturing firms were its members. On the basis of the committee report which was understood to have stressed that there was no connection between the use of endosulfan and the spread of cancer and other disorders in the concerned areas in Kasaragod, the firms manufacturing endosulfan started trying to get the temporary ban lifted by the High Court. But the stand by the UDF Government and its Agriculture Minister was suspicious. Surely they were pursing a policy of hide and seek on this matter.

When the LDF came to power, one of the immediate tasks before the Government was to assuage the feelings of the suffering families in the Panchayats around the cashew plantations of the Plantation Corporation in Kasaragod.

All aspects of this subject was discussed and a ban was imposed on the spraying of endosulfan in Kasaragode and strict restraint enforced on its use elsewhere. A financial assistance of Rs. 50,000/- each was distributed to the families of 140 persons who succumbed to Endosulfan. Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan distributed the financial assistance to those families.

A rehabilitation package to benefit thousands who are victims of endosulfan is also being undertaken.