Letter to BS: Protest against Sterlite's copper plant in TN's Thoothukudi

The important thing is to accept that the lives and livelihoods of people in humble circumstances cannot matter less than the commercial interests of rapacious multinational behemoths.

The protest against Sterlite copper smelter plant in Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) is entering its 51st day. Still, sadly, the state and central governments remain totally indifferent to the just struggle for shutting down the plant to save their lives and livelihoods. Farmers, fisher folk, traders, shopkeepers, drivers and students are swelling the ranks of protesters. It is a failing of the media that it does not cover a mass protest given it importance. There is collusion between Vedanta, which runs the plant, and the government to go ahead with the expansion plans despite empirical evidence to show that the plant causes