Mangaluru: It is not just the physical ailment which is worrying endosulfan victims in the coastal district. They are more distressed by the government’s apathy towards them. Their repeated petitions to provide necessary help has fallen on deaf ears. The High Court’s order too is not properly implemented.
The physical ailment followed by financial problems and the fear of a bleak future have forced several families to consider suicide as the only solution. With nobody taking their problem seriously, the victims have now decided to attract the attention of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and hold a protest on May 27 which they want the CM himself to attend. If he does not turn up, then the victims would hold an indefinite hunger strike from the next day.
“Endosulfan is killing us daily. We are not scared of death. Some believe death is more better than the daily suffering here. I have lost my eyesight and I suffer from health problems. I am unmarried too. I have nothing to lose. I am ready to die for the cause. Many of the victims too feel the same. Our Chief Minister has not taken our problem seriously. He would have earmarked money for us in the budget if he understood our problem. Elected representatives of the region too have failed to make him realise our problem,” Endo Virodhi Horata Samithi president Shridhar Gowda K said.
“Our main demand is that the Chief Minister should come to the village and acquaint himself with our problems. We will speak to him about our problems and submit our demands. Already we have sent a memorandum to the Chief Minister about our protest and hunger strike. Our hunger strike will not end until the CM visits us,” Gowda said.
“The life of endosulfan victims is tragic. The government has assured to provide monthly pension which it does not credit properly at all. Some family misses the money every month and they have to visit the bank and treasury. The victims are facing health problems. Almost all are suffering from poverty. There is no permanent rehabilitation centre due to which many are scared about their future. All this has made people think of suicide,” he added. Though a family committed suicide due to the problem of endosulfan recently, nobody from the government visited the house. No compensation has been paid. It looks like the government has not taken our problems seriously,” he said. Gowda claimed that despite High Court order, the government has failed to provide the necessary aid to endosulfan victims. “There is also a proposal to approach the HC with a contempt case,” he said.
“Kerala government has provided compensation and other assistance to endosulfan victims there. But why is the Karnataka government not doing it?” he questioned.
“If the CM and other ministers fail to attend, we will continue with our indefinite hunger strike. The government will be responsible for any incident that follows,” he warned.
