Search the Community

VILLAGE VERSUS CITY ON 13 February 2012, a handful of men, women and children from a village called Vilappilsala near to the capital of Kerala - Trivandrum made a history of sort by denying access few trucks carrying waste material meant to be dumped at the Waste Management Plant existing within the village. The trucks were carrying waste material collected from the city of Trivandrum. Trivandrum, being the capital city of Kerala does not have a Waste Management Plant of its own. Therefore, till 13 February 2012, all the waste produced by the residents of the city was being dumped at the Waste Management Plant constructed by the Trivandrum Municipal Corporation. However, over a period of time, notes of dissent from the villagers were on the rise with regard to the ‘Management’ of the Waste Management Plant. The villagers complained that the waste brought in from the city was just being dumped into the Plant and thereafter it was left unattended to rot there hampering the otherwise peaceful lives of the villagers. The villagers made verbal and written complaints to the authorities concerned about their predicament as the number of people from the village falling sick with various ailments such as skin diseases, elephantiasis, respiratory problems and even cases of developing impotency and also increase in the death rate of people in the age group between 40 – 50 were on the rise, but to no avail. Further, the stink emanated from the Plant was unbearable for the natives as they were to silently suffer it 24x7. Hopeful and sympathetic assurances on the remedial measures to help them that are being explored by the Government were given to them by the concerned officials. However, it seems, assurances were not being converted into action by the Govt. Therefore Therefore, the people of the village took a firm decision to prevent the Corporation from further dumping the waste material into the Plant. The Corporation on its part tried everything within its powers to continue dumping the waste to the Plant. However, the resilient villagers stood firm on their grounds and denied permission for further dumping and accordingly put a lock on the entrance gate of the Plant. The matter, thus, was referred to the High Court for its further directives on the subject as the garbage produced by the city dwellers of Trivandrum City was getting accumulated without any alternate arrangement for its disposal. The High court of the Kerala gave a verdict in favour of the Corporation and directed the police to assist the corporation to enable it to dump the waste material to the plant at Vilappilsala. However, the determined villagers does not gave in and prevented the attempt by the Corporation with due assistance of the police to take the waste to the plant on 13 February 2012. In effect they defied the Court Order which is something that does not happen ordinarily and takes a hell lot of courage to do so. Here what the courageous people of the village has to say “This revolution is not being made by the people, it is forced upon the people by the men in power.” According to reports from the media the Government has now taken initiatives to inform the High Court about the impasse and is seeking a review of its order. What is the fate of the people of the village of Vilappilsala would be known in the days to come. Do you think the tolerance level of the villagers of India, whom the city folks fondly or sarcastically address as ‘countries’, towards injustice of any manner is coming to ‘Zero”. Will this serve as an eye opener to the powers that be to review the established system of catering to the welfare of city dwellers more than that of the villagers?