Activists blame Law Department

KOCHI: The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has hailed the agitation carried out at the Coca Cola site in Plaachimada by various organisations and blamed the State Law Department for the delay in the passage of the ‘Plaachimada Coca-Cola Victims’ Relief and Compensation Claims Special Tribunal Bill-2011. Over 20 activists, including women, have been jailed as part of the agitation. “The NAPM hails the action of the activists and salutes their courage for the symbolic take over of the factory to bring home the dire need for the quick passage of the Bill,” the organisation said in a statement signed by several social activists.The statement further briefs the role of the State Law ministry in causing undue delay in the implementation of the provisions in the Bill. “The decision to send the Bill to the President was taken by the State Law Department. There was no issue of repugnance and hence no need for a Presidential assent. The law deals with entirely State subjects- losses in agriculture, health care, animal husbandry, job loss and groundwater contamination,” the statement says. Recently, the Union Government had referred the Bill back to State government but till date the State Law Department has not acted on it.  “We fail to understand the delay, especially when the Congress is ruling at the State and Centre. Is the government trying to serve the interests of the Coca Cola company? It is extremely shameful that the governments at the State and the Centre are neglecting the demands of the suffering people and the elected grama panchayat,” the statement says.“It is high time the government brought out the enactment and done justice to the suffering communities and held the Coke responsible for the corporate crimes. Our struggle to hold the corporations accountable for their inhuman deeds will continue until justice is done to the people,” the statement declares.The statement was signed by Medha Patkar, Sandeep Pandey, Gabriele Dietrich, Prafulla Samantara, Geo Josh, Hussain Master, Suniti S R, Rajendra Ravi, Ramakrishna Raju, Anand Mazgaonkar, Vimal Bhai and Madhuresh Kumar.