Kerala's Left Front calls shutdown for endosulphan ban

[1]

Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) has called for a state-wide shutdown on Friday to protest the central government's stand not to clamp a ban on pesticide endosulphan, blamed for many deaths in the state.

Announcing the decision on Tuesday, LDF convenor Vaikom Viswan said that the front decided to call the shutdown - the 10th during its tenure - to protest the Indian government's stand on endosulphan at the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which began in Geneva on Monday.

India has decided it would not support a call for a ban on the pesticide during the April 25-29 convention.

"The conference ends on Friday and hence we decided to express our protest against the centre's stand not to ask for a ban at the ongoing conference. It appears the centre is more concerned about the 'health' of multinational companies and not the real health of people of this country," said Viswan.

"We request the people to cooperate with the shutdown. All essential services would be allowed to function and so would two-wheelers," he added.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan on Monday staged a seven-hour fast to demand a nation-wide ban on endosulphan.

About 500 deaths since 1995 in 11 villages have been officially acknowledged as related to the spraying of endosulfan, whose use on the estates of state-owned Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK) in Kasargode district began in the early 1970s and continued till 2001.

Unofficial estimates put the deaths since the late 1970s to around 4,000.

Meanwhile, attacking the Left for the shutdown call, state Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala termed its shutdown plans as nothing but a cheap political gimmick.

"It was our government that banned the use of endosulphan in the state. And for the past five years, the Achuthanandan government did not do anything in the state to enforce the ban and now at the fag end of their term, they have come out with yet another gimmick. We wish to hear from Achuthanandan, what he has to say, on his party ruled West Bengal not banning it," he added.