Ideally one shouldn’t use terms
like ‘living dead’ but Sohail has been reduced to vegetable state, almost all
his life. He is a victim of Endosulfan and is completely paralysed; he does understand
questions and is able to mumble answers. His face contorts with his body as he
speaks, it takes lots of effort. He generally likes to watch cricket and when i
asked him about his favourite player. He was unambiguous and came with instant
answer “Sachin” (but then little does Sohail know that his ‘hero’ after getting
into Rajya Sabha seems to have given credibility to nonsense like “Coca Cola”. Should RS
member be allowed to come in commercial ads? Ideally the person concerned
should be circumspect. But then we live in a crude world). His mother Sohra
says that he also likes to listen to news. He doesn’t know how to read or write,
and spends all his time lying on the sofa. It’s was deeply poignant moment to
see the child stretched helplessly on a sheet that had bright red flowers. He
burst into laughter sometimes; i found it quite hard to face this reality and thought
of leaving. There are many children like Sohail who have fallen victim to
Endosulfan, that incidentally was banned in India only recently after much protest (of course policy makers
concern seems to be GDP). Indeed this dangerous
chemical is being actively promoted by profit seeking pesticide companies.
It was in the year 1998 that one
Ms. Leela Kumariamma filed a case against Plantation
Corporation of Kerala (PCK)–a
Public sector undertaking, she had filed the case restraining the use of
helicopter for spraying pesticide that is happening for 24 years. It is this spraying that is believed to have
contaminated the surrounding. It is while the trial was proceeding that the people
first came to know about Endosulfan. Amazing is it not we don’t we even know
what goes into our food, our water, our land, our blood...while the 
24x7 market
media news is reduced to entertainment. I met NP Mohd. Kunju -the Panchayat
President of Bovikunnu, who also happens to be the Chairperson of the group
that was created to protest against the use Endosulfan. Punjiri (little smile) was formed in 1997, their fourteen years of
struggle is having affect only recently. There is now a complete ban on
Endosulfan, but the issue of compensation to the victims is still in limbo. 187
victims have been identified and 1lakh from CM’s relief fund is promised, this
was raised to 5 lakh by Human Right Commission, half of the amount will be paid
by the Plantation Corporation. The mute question though is how is that the
Company that produces such dangerous chemicals go scot free?
24x7 market
media news is reduced to entertainment. I met NP Mohd. Kunju -the Panchayat
President of Bovikunnu, who also happens to be the Chairperson of the group
that was created to protest against the use Endosulfan. Punjiri (little smile) was formed in 1997, their fourteen years of
struggle is having affect only recently. There is now a complete ban on
Endosulfan, but the issue of compensation to the victims is still in limbo. 187
victims have been identified and 1lakh from CM’s relief fund is promised, this
was raised to 5 lakh by Human Right Commission, half of the amount will be paid
by the Plantation Corporation. The mute question though is how is that the
Company that produces such dangerous chemicals go scot free?
I was reading that at the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic
Pollutants of 2011, when an international consensus arose for the global
ban of the pesticide, India stood against this move owing to pressure from the
endosulfan manufacturing companies!! Understandably there were protests. Later,
on a petition filed in the Supreme Court of India, the production, storage,
sale and use of the pesticide was banned.
