22nd May 2018, was the black day when 13 innocent people in Thoothukudi were shot dead by the Tamil Nadu Police (2 more died later). The people had come out in protest to PROTECT their environment. It was the 100th day of protests to shut down the Sterlite copper smelting factory that was polluting the town. These protests were against the planned opening of a second Sterlite unit which could cause more pollution. 50 thousand people, including a large number of women and children participated in the protests. The protests had started 99 days before and had gone peacefully without any incidence of violence. 

The protest on 22nd May was also largely peaceful in spite of police intimidation. The authorities would later claim that the police firing was in response to arson on Sterlite staff quarters. However, the people who died in the firing were in front of the collectorate & elsewhere in the town, away from the staff quarters.

Eye-witnesses say that the firing was unprovoked, arbitrary and with assault weapons (SLRs). A police firing needs magistrate approval. But, the Thoothukudi firing was ordered by 2 Deputy Tahsildars. Anybody ever heard of Deputy Tahsildar having such authority?

• 16 year old Snowlin was shot through her head. She had just written her 10th (SSLC) exams and had ambitions to become a lawyer. 22-year old college student, Karthik who wanted to become a policeman was shot dead by policemen.

• Jansi (47), a home maker was not even in the rally; she was in Therespuram which is 5 kms away from the protest site. She had visited her sister's house and was walking back when a police party arrived, arbitrarily fired and killed her. 

• Antony Selvaraj was 2 kms away from the protest site, distributing invitations for his daughter's puberty function. He was shot and killed for no reason. 40 year old Glaston was a fisherman and joined the protests for the first time. He was shot dead in front of his family.

• S Maniraj, was recently married and an onlooker. The list goes on: Selvasekhar (42), Jayaraman (62), Tamilarasan (35), Vinodh, Kandiah - all were murdered in broad day light. 100+ people, including children were injured and have to endure life long suffering.

In the aftermath of the firing, Police terrorized the local population with house-to-house searches with violence and unmatched brutality. Kaliappan (22), was shot and killed a day after the protests. As he lay dead, the police kicked his body and scoffed at him.

Why was this terror unleashed on Thoothukudi? Law & order problem? The evidence doesn't say so.

For instance, the Section 144 curfew order was promulgated by the Collector at 10 pm the previous night and was NOT made public. The District Collector himself, who is the ultimate government authority in the district, left Thoothukudi on 22nd May for an administrative visit to a nearby town. This was despite him knowing that 22nd May was the 100th day of protest and that there will be a procession to his office to give him a memorandum to close down Sterlite. The town was handed over to the police with the intention of teaching the people of the town a lesson: how dare they protest against the government and a large corporate manufacturing material for the "good of the nation"?

The massacre of 13 people on 22nd of May and 2 more subsequently seems very much a premeditated killing by the State: a grand scheme hatched by the nexus between a powerful corporate, pliant politicians and servile bureaucrats. A scheme to stifle protests by the local population who dared question the rich & powerful.

In the aftermath of the firing, vested interests let loose it's propaganda machine against those killed, branding them as terrorists and naxals - including a famous actor who parroted it. They depicted Sterlite as the savior of a nation that was deprived of copper; those who opposed Sterlite were, you have heard it before: "anti-nationals"

The then Tamil Nadu government appointed a commission to investigate the Thoothukudi Massacre. It has been  "investigating" for the past 4 years. 

The actions of the National Human Rights Commission of India were shameful to say the least. The organization entrusted with protecting the rights of the citizens from the authority of the State, silently closed it's investigation stating that "compensations have been paid to the victims". The political clout of Vedanta is unlimited!

After the massacre on 22nd May,  the families of the deceased refused to accept the bodies of their loved ones. This put pressure on the government and they hurriedly passed orders to shutdown Sterlite, fearing backlash over the firings. There was one silver lining in the entire black cloud. Thoothukudi has been breathing better since then: based on press reports, the number of days of "acceptable" air quality has increased from a meager 5% to 42% after closure. 

With the BLOOD of 15 people on it's hands, Sterlite has brazenly approached the courts and has demanded re-opening of it's plant. It believes that it's money and political power will ram through any opposition, including from the local population. It’s brazen audacity is amazing.

A special law is required to STOP STERLITE PERMANENTLY. This law has to be passed by the Tamil Nadu state legislature. The plant should be dismantled and steps taken to reverse the environmental damage it has done. CULPRITS who ordered the firing should be brought to JUSTICE. 

Last but not least, a memorial should be built, in honor of the HEROES who were killed, to remind us about our rights to a pollution-free environment and the rights of the local population to stand for it. They are our true heroes!