Mystery lingers as a peaceful protest takes a violent turn in Kozhikode

Walking past the charred remains of the carriage vehicles on the premises of Fresh Cut Organic Products Private Limited, a poultry waste rendering unit at Ambayathode in Kattippara panchayat, Kozhikode, Isaac Jacob, an employee of the plant, paused for a moment.

The cranked metal parts of the vehicles, their burnt fabric and molten plastic interiors and thick layers of soot and the charred remains of the building reminded him of the violent incidents that unfolded on the campus a few days ago.

A six-year-long protest against the alleged air and water pollution caused by the waste treatment plant suddenly turned violent on the evening of October 21. An angry mob of over 200 people reportedly stormed the factory premises and set vehicles and buildings on fire, causing widespread damage. Women and children at the protest site ran for cover as the chaos unfolded. In no time, a few miscreants reportedly entered the factory’s hazardous areas, attacked the labourers and torched a portion of the factory. As many as 14 vehicles, including pick-up vans and motorbikes, were destroyed in the act of fury.

“The area resembled a war zone with the fire furiously spreading across the vehicles parked on the campus and parts of the company buildings. Someone was heard shouting to fellow arsonists. The screams of the scared employees, who fled the scene, got drowned in the cacophony of noises. Someone alerted the firefighters. Police personnel sprang into action and tried to disperse the arsonists. Everything was in chaos,” recounts Sreejith, an employee of the electrical division of the plant, who was seriously injured in the violence. He is convalescing at a private hospital after undergoing two surgeries.

Two weeks later, an uneasy calm prevails on the campus. The prohibitory orders imposed by the district administration have slowed down the pace of life. Yet, normalcy is slowly returning under the watchful eyes of police personnel.

Fear is writ on Isaac’s face as he quickly moved through the yard past the debris to enter the partly gutted building of the company, which is in the thick of a raging controversy.

The trigger of the violence, according to some protesters, was the attempt of the police to clear the way for a few waste-laden vehicles to the factory, ignoring the protesters. The efforts of the police to disperse the crowd using tear gas shells infuriated the protesters, who retaliated with stone-pelting, say some eyewitnesses.

The action committee leaders, who were spearheading the agitation, say they were caught unawares by the sudden turn of events. “We have never resorted to aggressive protest in these six years. Our agitation was focused on the pollution caused by the unit. A thorough investigation needs to be carried out to identify the miscreants who infiltrated the protest and triggered trouble,” demands Thampi Parakandathil, the chief patron of the action committee. While tracking down the criminal elements, the police should not victimise innocent local people, who are fighting for a rightful cause, he demands.

Public wrath from the beginning

The ₹22-crore factory processes waste from the poultry rendering units in the district into raw material for pet food. The unit, which began commercial operations in 2019, has an installed capacity to process 25 tonne of poultry waste a day. Right from its initial days of operation, it has encountered stiff public resistance.

“The stench from the factory has made our life miserable. The nearly 5,000 residents of the Kodenchery, Kattippara, Thamarassery and Omassery panchayats have been severely affected by the air pollution caused by the factory. Yet, the company officials are unwilling to listen to the grievances of the residents,” complains Thampi, a former vice-president of Kodenchery grama panchayat.

Premji James, president of the Kattippara grama panchayat, says the panchayat has not given clearance to the factory to operate in the area. “The factory operators managed to secure clearances from appellate authorities and overcome the objections of the local body,” says Premji.

P.K. Zeenath, a homemaker from Karimbalakkunnu, a village close by, says she is worried about her 72-year-old father, who is battling respiratory illness, apparently triggered by the air pollution. Several residents of the nearby villages too are facing similar health issues, she says. Many residents complain that the authorities are keen to protect the interests of the investors rather than the villagers.

Environmentalists voice similar concerns. T.V. Rajan, State general secretary of Green Movement, an environmental organisation based in Kozhikode,says a fact-finding team will visit the affected areas to take stock of the situation. T.K.A. Azeez, another environmental activist, holds the firm responsible for water pollution.

Plight of a river

T.K. Suhra and Fathima, residents of Omassery panchayat, endorse his contention, complaining that the Iruthulli river, their main source of water, is being polluted by the effluents discharged from the factory. “Skin diseases, including allergies, have become common in the area,” they complain.

The nauseating stench from the factory, says Fathima Shifa, a resident of Thamarassery panchayat, is forcing the villagers to host family functions at distant locations. The factory needs to be closed down, she asserts.

These complaints had prompted a small group of residents to stage daily protests outside the factory since its inception. On October 21, a much larger group assembled in front of the unit, demanding its closure. It was amidst this protest that violence erupted and untoward incidents ensued.

Now, peace has made a slow comeback with District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh offering to look into the villagers’ concerns. 

The police investigation into the incidents and the hunt for the miscreants have taken the centerstage now and put the reported pollution caused by the factory and the subsequent public protests on the back-burner.

Action committee blames police

A senior member of the action committee blamed the police for triggering the violent incidents. “Had the police not hurled tear gas shells, no clash would have erupted. The police provoked the protesters and tried to forcefully suppress the agitation. Their handling of women and children was inhumane,” he complains.

A Special Investigation Team led by DIG Yathish Chandra, which is investigating the case, has picked up 18 persons, who are suspected to have been involved in the arson and related violence. Several members of the action council and police personnel were injured in the incidents.

“We suspect that some criminal elements had infiltrated into the protest and changed its course. The police are looking for those who triggered the violence. Cases have been booked against over 300 identifiable persons with suspected links to the incidents. The factory was set on fire when the labourers were at work. There were even attempts to prevent the firefighters,” says a police official, who preferred anonymity.

A theory that a rivalry between some former business partners snowballed into violent incidents is also doing the rounds.

On ‘external elements’

Sujeesh Kolothody, the managing director of the company, suspects the involvement of some “external elements,” who, according to him, provided the ammunition and logistical support to convert the peaceful protest into a violent one.

“An impartial probe needs to be carried out to identify the culprits. The violence caused the firm a loss of ₹3 crore,” he says. “The unit has been following all norms. We are open to any regulatory checks and evaluations by the competent authorities. The allegations against the company are unfounded,” asserts Sujeesh.

The Kodenchery village panchayat authorities are not in favour of the centralised waste treatment model, like the controversial one, which, according to them, is the priority model of the State authorities. “Huge quantities of waste are brought in from different parts of the district to a centralised plant. The State government should not promote such units. We need decentralised waste treatment units,” suggests Alex Thomas Chembakassery, chairperson of the local body.

The factory is yet to resume its operation though the din and dust over the violent protest has subsided. The district-level facilitation and monitoring committee has given its clearance following the inspections carried out by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board and the Suchitwa Mission. However, the factory authorities say the unit will start functioning only after a thorough safety audit, as the fire has damaged parts of the building.

Sreejith and other members of the action council will recover from the injuries and bounce back to life in the near future. However, the frightening memories of the October 21 are unlikely to fade any time soon.