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Officials say nine protesters were killed when police opened fire on demonstrators demanding the closure of a south Indian copper plant.
Thousands of protesters turned out on Tuesday amid months of rallies against the Sterlite copper smelting plant, which demonstrators say has polluted the area's groundwater.
Media reports from the town of Tuticorin say that pushing and shoving between protesters and police turned more violent on Tuesday, with demonstrators pelting police with stones, overturning cars and setting fires.
The top official in Tamil Nadu state, K Palaniswami, said police “had to take action under unavoidable circumstances to protect public life and property".
Sterlite Copper has requested government approval to expand its immense plant in Tuticorin.
Sterlite is a unit of the firm Vedanta Ltd.
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On DawnNews
Comments (25) Closed
May 22, 2018 09:05pm
No surprise. They have been exploiting the land and wealth of poor Maoists for decades and killing anybody struggling to defend their rights. South India that remained independent throughout history had also been annexed treacherously. But times are changing today.
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May 22, 2018 09:11pm
Nearly 300 people have been dead in India with dust storms, viruses and police attacks on protestors. This is sad. Pakistan is the same heat waves is causing carnage here. Please brother get together to solve our problems humanity is suffering so much.
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May 22, 2018 09:15pm
INDIA is booming and on its way to becoming a superpower. It needs to be mindful of the environment too.
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May 22, 2018 09:16pm
I am certain it has contaminated the groundwater but Modi's slogan is Profit Before People. Make In India. We know how vicious the Indian police are. They only want the people to abandon the protest, even if the heavy metals in the water is killing them. People must stand up if their own government is killing them. Modi wants India's assets protected and the factory owners want their profits protected. Something had to give and it did.
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May 22, 2018 09:19pm
bjp does not have any presence in tamilnadu so dont jump to conclusion
regarding pollution people have rights to protest and stop the project, but they do not have rights to burn cars properties belonging to other people
file a case stop the wotk
goondaism will not be tolerated
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May 22, 2018 09:21pm
This is sad, but a real truth, industry brings pollution, sad to see this.
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May 22, 2018 09:31pm
So sad.
Largest domacracy in the world has gone mad.
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May 22, 2018 09:36pm
Bravo Indian protesters - Result of unchecked, unregulated industrialization, the path Modi is embarked on is pushing India toward the worst pollution. Finally, the common man had enough.
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May 22, 2018 09:41pm
How sad my sympathies are with poor People demanding their right to clean water and air.
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May 22, 2018 10:17pm
Very bad
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May 22, 2018 10:31pm
Very sad incident, anti pollution demonstrators are in fact awakening people mindset and promoting awareness. They should be listened.
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May 22, 2018 10:33pm
Tamil Nadu should seek independence from India !!!
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May 22, 2018 10:39pm
If killing in Kashmir was not enough now Tamil Nadu .
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May 22, 2018 10:48pm
WOW. People get killed in India for protesting pollution. Pretty strange.
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May 22, 2018 11:06pm
They DONT KILL, they were forced to shoot at rioters who were burning cars etc.
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May 22, 2018 11:14pm
Highly unfortunate incident which unluckily can only happen in the biggest fraud, sham and shame democracy of the world.
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May 23, 2018 12:27am
Police instead of looking after safety of public, actually kill them. BJP said it would uplifting the poor but he is allowing poisoning of the drinking waters. Soviet Union had similar track record.
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May 23, 2018 12:54am
Crazy stuff...feel bad for the victims.
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May 23, 2018 02:48am
That's sad. Opening live fire on unarmed protesters.
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May 23, 2018 03:17am
Ensuring the health of underground waters also presumably comes within ambit of Public safety.. Failure to provide basic amenities to people results in so many evils which could have been avoided otherwise...
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May 23, 2018 03:26am
A definite source of arsenic poisoning of drinking water sources, the authorities must carry out environmental impact assessment of the expansion plans of this multi billion rupees industry, failing which their government will have to tackle millions affected people developing deformed limbs in a matter of few years by drinking arsenic laden water. A violent response, by local law enforcement to protesters right demand, is disgusting and highly deplorable.
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May 23, 2018 05:23am
Just a normal day in india.
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May 23, 2018 05:57am
Well protesters threw stones and damaged properties and police had to do what they had to disperse the crowd and bring peace . Treatment is same in Srinagar or Tuticorin.
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May 23, 2018 06:31am
This is all about India.
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May 23, 2018 07:09am
When the protests turn violent, they are no more protester, they are criminals and police action is justified.
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