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Dr.
M.P. Parameswaran
(Dr.
M. P. Parameswaran received a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from
the College of Engineering, Kerala, India in 1956, and a Ph.D. in
Nuclear Engineering from the Moscow Power Institute in 1965. He was
a scientist with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay, from
1957 to 1975. Since 1975 he has been a full-time activist with the
Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP). His areas of interest include
environment, education, rural development, energy, publication, etc.
MP is a
prolific writer. He has written 29 popular science books in
Malayalam and two in English. His books give a panoramic view of
science. Radio-activity, atomic science, Astronomy, Mathematics,
political science, social science, ecology - these are some of the
varied subjects he has dealt with in his books. A vision of "A New
World - A New India" guides his thoughts and actions. He received
three awards for his books, two National and one State. He was the
recipient of two more national awards, one for science
popularisation and another for literacy. Articles written by him in
various periodicals run to more than 300.)
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"Look
at the audacity of the senior IAS officers who had no shame to
refuse mandatory information under provisions of the Right to
Information Act 2005? They should be prosecuted. How do they say
a joint enterprise by Kerala Government in partnership with
another is a private firm? How is it possible a senior
Government servant continues to be the head of such a ‘private’
concern? It exposes how ignorant are our bureaucrats."
-
Dr.
M.P. Parameswaran
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The
developmental paradigm that prevails in India is that ‘we need
industry, no matter the cost it incurs on our lives and the
environment’. Who’s to pay the costs? The people. Not those who are
able to influence in the decision making, but the silent majority
who are often the poor and the marginalized.
Was there a
study 25 years ago on Nitta Gelatin India Limited, like the one we
have today by Jananeethi Institute, there won’t have the problems as
we are facing today. No meaningful fight is possible without an
authentic study as it is.
 Why
Kerala Government did choose a partnership with Nitta Gelatin? Every
party, including Left parties, is very romantic about having an
alliance with foreign business interests. This question needs to be
raised first in Delhi. Like Union Carbide in Bhopal, the NGIL at
Kathikudam will refuse to take liability if a situation arises in
future. The change in name will help them on technical grounds.
Now we are
going to have election to the local bodies. There are more than
twenty thousand seats for which there must be at least 200.000
candidates in the fray. We must grill them asking what are they
going to do with industrial pollution? We must make environmental
issues as the main slogans during the forthcoming election.
Look at the
audacity of the senior IAS officers who had no shame to refuse
mandatory information under provisions of the Right to Information
Act 2005? They should be prosecuted. How do they say a joint
enterprise by Kerala Government in partnership with another is a
private firm? How is it possible a senior Government servant
continues to be the head of such a ‘private’ concern? It exposes how
ignorant are our bureaucrats.
The Kerala
Government must constitute a High Power Committee (Plachimada model)
to assess the quantum
of damage to the nature and to the people by the NGIL Company during
its more than three decades operations. The damage is colossal as
water, soil and air are polluted to the core. Water in Chalakkudy
River and private wells is unfit for use. We must explore effective
propaganda against the so called ‘compost’ being marketed by the
company or its agents. The message should reach to the general
public who are at the receiving end of the corrupt practice. Like
food adulteration, which is a serious offence with severe legal
follow up, compost contaminated with high presence of heavy metals
like lead and nickel, is an act of adulteration and it should be
treated as a cognizable offence in law and those who are responsible
must be treated under stringent laws. Remember, the only institution
where we have not lost our faith completely is the judiciary.
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