Thrissur: Noted environmental activist Medha Patkar has assured the Malayora Samrakshana Samiti, a group of residents protesting against the quarries functioning allegedly on forest land at Valakkavu in Nadathara Panchayat in Thrissur, she would take over the protest from them if the district administration delayed canceling the licence of the quarries. Ms Patkar who was in the city on Monday to attend several programmes, met the Samiti members who are on an indefinite day-night protest in front of the Collectorate here since September 28 and expressed her solidarity with them.
“Private companies are looting natural resources and the common man is facing the brunt of such a loot. But governments and officials were yet to take a strong stand against those who illegally exploited nature. A solution to the protest of the samiti which included women and children soon needs to be reached,” she said.
AAP leader and environmentalist C.R. Neelakandan, former Mayor of Thrissur K Radhakrishnan, among other were present. Samithi leader Joby Kaippangal told DC that Patkar had conveyed to them that if the district administration did not cancel the licence of the six quarries and four crushers, she herself would take over the leadership of the protest from next month.
