Now aged twelve, Sharanya was diagnosed with cerebral meningitis on the 28th day of her birth. She was also diagnosed with hydrocephalus. She can sit only with support of others. Born close to a mango orchard where banned pesticide endosulfan was sprayed indiscriminately, her swollen head and apparent physical illnesses are testimony to the residuary harm that the pesticide has rendered to the people of Muthalamada.
“No political party or candidate in this Assembly election approached us with the promise to address our miseries if voted to power. But we preferred to vote this morning because it is our democratic right. But democracy would be meaningful only if the political parties stop appeasing multi-national pesticide giants and address our genuine concerns,’’ said Saranya’s father Chandran, a 49-year-old construction worker.
“Her condition is bad. Her vision is also getting affected. We took her along with us to the polling booth when we went there to exercise our franchise,” said her mother 41-year-old Rugmini.
There is widespread resentment among families of 188 victims of endosulfan in Muthalamada and Kollangode region against political parties for not addressing their concerns. “No one seems to be serious about their issues. When I met Chief Minister Oommen Chandy four months ago to take up the matter with him, he wondered whether such issue was existing. This is happening despite a National Human Rights Commission order to ensure immediate relief to endosulfan victims in Muthalamada and State Health Department’s promise to implement a package for them,’’ said environmentalist S Guruvayurappan.
“Unlike in the case of victims in Kasaragod, the 188 victims here are a neglected lot. The biggest humiliation was in 2011 when the government released Rs.5,000 as compensation to 46 victims. All of them refused to accept it as each would have got only Rs.108,” recalled C. Kaliyappan of Pathippara. Shaktivel, suffering from a skin condition, also said he voted this time only because of his democratic convictions.
Senthil Kumar and Dhanalakshmi of Babu Colony, Muthalamada, said they too voted this time with the hope that the new government would address their concerns. Their two-year-old daughter Hemalatha, was born two years after the global ban on endosulfan. But she too turned a victim of the residuary harm that the pesticide has been doing.
The number of children with birth deformities, cancer, cerebral palsy, mental disorders, skin diseases and vision loss is high in Muthalamada. “Here the pesticide was sprayed on individual mango trees with nozzles directed skywards. The person spraying gets affected almost instantly,” says local activist Mariappan Neelippara.
‘‘As poor Dalit and tribal coolie workers, we remain unorganised. Struggling even to get a decent pay for the hard work in farmlands, we are incapable of organising a Kasaragod model struggle. The government continues to utter false promises,’’ said Chandran.
