Speaking at the celebrations held in Madurai district after the Union government cancelled the tungsten mining project, Chief Minister Stalin praised the residents of Arittapatti and Nayakarpatti village on January 26. “More than thanking me, it’s you who I deserve praise, thanks and congratulations,” he said.
Stalin also said, “You are aware of the atrocities, injustices and anti-people activities of the Union government. Even today farmers from several states are protesting. Such protests have occurred earlier in [New] Delhi regardless of the heat or cold. You also know that many have died in these protests. Their protests took two years, but you have been victorious in just three months.”
The Union government announced the project’s cancellation on January 23 following an outcry from residents, the state government and several Opposition parties. Hindustan Zinc Limited—a subsidiary of Vedanta—in November 2024 had been granted mining rights for one site in the area. Earlier in July of that year the Geological Survey of India (GSI) discovered significant tungsten deposits in Nayakkarpatti and Arittapatti.
However, residents from 50 villages, including Arittapatti and Nayakkarpatti, strongly opposed the project, citing potential environmental damage and threats to livelihood.
Further, the site had been declared a biodiversity heritage site in 2022 as it houses several rare species of flora and fauna, cave temples, Jain temples, Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions, and Panchapandavar stone beds.