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A public hearing organised by the anti-corruption NGO Arappor Iyakkam in Tirunelveli district on Sunday, November 2, to discuss the social and environmental impact of illegal stone quarrying, was violently disrupted by a group allegedly linked to quarry owners.
The meeting had to be suspended midway after Dr V Suresh, National General Secretary of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), was hit on the head with a plastic chair, and a group supporting quarry interests clashed with the organisers.
Held at a hall near the Tirunelveli Collectorate, the hearing aimed to record testimonies from villagers on how unregulated quarrying had affected natural resources and livelihoods in and around the district. The panel included Dr Suresh, S Nandhakumar of Thannatchi Iyakkam – an organisation advocating for people centric governance – N Udhay Rajan of Uvakai Research Foundation, biodiversity expert Dr A Thanigaivel, and social activist I Nandhini.
According to Arappor Iyakkam, people from across Tirunelveli district had gathered to share their grievances. Around 11 am, a group of about 25 men entered the hall and sat at the back, prompting the organisers to alert the police.
By 11.25 am, the group, allegedly led by Vinoth Kumar and Arogiyasamy, began shouting and disrupting the proceedings. Despite repeated assurances from the panel that they would be allowed to speak, the men demanded that the meeting be cancelled.
When the organisers refused, one of the men hurled a plastic chair at Dr Suresh, hitting him on the back of his head and causing a bleeding injury. Others reportedly threw chairs, overturned tables, and flung microphones, forcing the organisers to call off the event.
Arappor Iyakkam’s Convener Jayaram Venkatesh told TNM the attack was intended to intimidate villagers and prevent them from speaking about the negative impact of quarrying. “They entered the hall wearing white shirts and black trousers, posing as advocates. Soon the group started demanding an apology from me for terming those indulging in illegal quarrying as thieves. We knew what their intentions were and refused to engage. Chairs were thrown at Dr Suresh who was trying to speak to them and he was injured,” he added.
Minutes after the ruckus, the hall managers instructed Arapoor Iyakkam office bearers to stop the hearing and leave immediately.
K Balakrishnan, former Tamil Nadu Communist Party of India [CPI(M)] secretary, said, “Even though the large-scale illegal extraction and smuggling of rare minerals worth several thousand crores have already been exposed in courts, it is alarming that a group resorts to open violence and intimidation despite police presence.”
All those involved in this condemnable attack must be arrested, and the government must ensure proper protection for lawyer Suresh, and Jayaraman, who have been standing up against the illegal mining, he added.
G Sundarrajan of Poovulagin Nanbargal, an environmental organisation, said, “If rule of law prevailing in Tamil Nadu is true, the Chief minister should order the closure of illegal quarries that have been operating continuously in Tirunelveli.”
A police complaint has been filed against Vinoth Kumar, Arogiyasamy and others involved in the attack. One of the accused was detained at the scene.