dahiyars
February 2nd, 2006, 09:09 PM
People Fighting To Throw Coca Cola Out
AN electrified mood is prevails in Gangaikondan and the neighbouring villages. The people of the area are up against the cola giant Coca Cola. They are waging a valiant struggle against the Coke plant, set up in the name of South India Bottling Company Limited, at Gangaikondan near Tirunelveli.
Thamirabarani is the only perennial river in the state of Tamilnadu. The river feeds about one lakh acres of agricultural land in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts, besides meeting the drinking water needs of Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and neighbouring Virudhunagar district. The authorities promised to the Coca-Cola plant a supply of 9 million litres of water everyday, which is sure to make an adverse impact on the living conditions of whole population in these districts. To create an awareness of the impact this company’s operation is going to make, the people of this area were taken to Plachimada and Sivaganga, and the people’s movement threw from there the cola giant out.
The struggle was named the "Quit Tirunelveli" struggle, which reminds one of the famous Quit India movement against the British. The Joint Action Council against the bottling plant was formed on June 6, 2005, by 45 organisations from various walks of life, with an ex-MLA R Krishnan as its convenor. The council utilised various methods for its awareness campaign. The committed and focused volunteers of the JAC had to struggle hard and finally, the company and the authorities had to eat the humble pie.
Popular opinion in the area was that the plant should go. The people of Gangaikondan village were preparing themselves to bring a resolution in the Gram Sabha meeting for cancellation of the license given to the South India Bottling Company Limited. After initially announcing the convening of the Gram Sabha and even after having advertised for the same, the district collector cancelled the Gram Sabha meeting that was to convene on November 20.
There is a substantial Dalit population in the area where the struggle took place. Previously, to overcome their social problems, they joined hands with different organisations on various occasions but returned empty hands. Since they were fooled on all such occasions, they naturally lost confidence in any democratic movement. The district authorities and the police have been fully exploiting this despondency, resorting to false propaganda to try to keep Dalits on their side. The Joint Action Council kept this aspect in mind while trying to win the Dalits over.
A notable feature in this struggle was that Tirunelveli division of the Insurance Corporation Employees Union was the first to realise the dirty tricks of this MNC. The union, consisting of middle class employees, has taken an active part in forming the Joint Action Council and also in taking the struggle further. Soon it decided to adopt a village, Nellai Thiruthu, near the Coke plant. Since then, every organisation in the JAC is going to adopt one village each in the area.
In its recently concluded Tamilnadu state conference, the Progressive Writers Association resolved that its members would not drink Coca Cola and Pepsi products. The PWA is organising several programmes to create awareness about these products.
On December 23, the Joint Action Council organised a hunger strike for protection of Thamirabarani and ground water. After the district authorities refused to allow a hunger strike in Gangaikondan, it was organised at Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli district. Had the programme taken place at Gangaikondan, the participation could have been much higher. Even then, about 6,000 water warriors, including 2,000 women, took part in the hunger strike. The struggle is on.
R.S.Dahiya
AN electrified mood is prevails in Gangaikondan and the neighbouring villages. The people of the area are up against the cola giant Coca Cola. They are waging a valiant struggle against the Coke plant, set up in the name of South India Bottling Company Limited, at Gangaikondan near Tirunelveli.
Thamirabarani is the only perennial river in the state of Tamilnadu. The river feeds about one lakh acres of agricultural land in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts, besides meeting the drinking water needs of Tirunelveli, Tuticorin and neighbouring Virudhunagar district. The authorities promised to the Coca-Cola plant a supply of 9 million litres of water everyday, which is sure to make an adverse impact on the living conditions of whole population in these districts. To create an awareness of the impact this company’s operation is going to make, the people of this area were taken to Plachimada and Sivaganga, and the people’s movement threw from there the cola giant out.
The struggle was named the "Quit Tirunelveli" struggle, which reminds one of the famous Quit India movement against the British. The Joint Action Council against the bottling plant was formed on June 6, 2005, by 45 organisations from various walks of life, with an ex-MLA R Krishnan as its convenor. The council utilised various methods for its awareness campaign. The committed and focused volunteers of the JAC had to struggle hard and finally, the company and the authorities had to eat the humble pie.
Popular opinion in the area was that the plant should go. The people of Gangaikondan village were preparing themselves to bring a resolution in the Gram Sabha meeting for cancellation of the license given to the South India Bottling Company Limited. After initially announcing the convening of the Gram Sabha and even after having advertised for the same, the district collector cancelled the Gram Sabha meeting that was to convene on November 20.
There is a substantial Dalit population in the area where the struggle took place. Previously, to overcome their social problems, they joined hands with different organisations on various occasions but returned empty hands. Since they were fooled on all such occasions, they naturally lost confidence in any democratic movement. The district authorities and the police have been fully exploiting this despondency, resorting to false propaganda to try to keep Dalits on their side. The Joint Action Council kept this aspect in mind while trying to win the Dalits over.
A notable feature in this struggle was that Tirunelveli division of the Insurance Corporation Employees Union was the first to realise the dirty tricks of this MNC. The union, consisting of middle class employees, has taken an active part in forming the Joint Action Council and also in taking the struggle further. Soon it decided to adopt a village, Nellai Thiruthu, near the Coke plant. Since then, every organisation in the JAC is going to adopt one village each in the area.
In its recently concluded Tamilnadu state conference, the Progressive Writers Association resolved that its members would not drink Coca Cola and Pepsi products. The PWA is organising several programmes to create awareness about these products.
On December 23, the Joint Action Council organised a hunger strike for protection of Thamirabarani and ground water. After the district authorities refused to allow a hunger strike in Gangaikondan, it was organised at Palayamkottai in Tirunelveli district. Had the programme taken place at Gangaikondan, the participation could have been much higher. Even then, about 6,000 water warriors, including 2,000 women, took part in the hunger strike. The struggle is on.
R.S.Dahiya