Several People Injured in a Protest Against New Adani Port

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A clash between the police and protestors against an upcoming port project lead to the injury of multiple police personnel as well as protesters.

The Adani Group is currently working to build a mega port project on the coast of Kerala. The project is said to be worth around $900 million and aimed to become the main business gateway for goods and logistics from Dubai, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

But continuously growing protests have halted construction at the Vizhinjam seaport for over three months now and caused major concerns for the Adani Group. The region is mostly inhabited by local fishermen who are dependent on the sea for their livelihood. They are blaming the project for coastal erosion as well as the loss of their livelihood.

The court had freed the company from liabilities and allowed the continuation of the project. In the latest protest, locals blocked construction-related vehicles from entering the site during the weekend. This led to the arrest of several protesters to allow the vehicles to enter. The recent round of violence broke out when a large group of protesters came demanding the freedom of a fellow protester who was arrested earlier. Several vehicles were damaged and people were injured.

Kerala Police commented that the protestors barged into the police station with lethal weapons. They held the police personnel hostage and demanded the immediate release of the attested individuals. They also mentioned that mainly Christian people are taking part in these protests and are led by Roman Catholic Priests in these events.

However, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese mentioned that it was in fact police who attacked them and that several people including priests were arrested. He also called for a proper judicial enquiry of the incident that left 36 police personnel among the injured.

While the company has not given any comments on the recent clash, it maintains the statement that the project complies with all government and environmental norms. And the state government blames the erosion on natural causes.

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