Thrissur: The people’s agitation against pollution by the Nitta Gelatin company at Kathikudam has got national attention with the involvement of All-India Students Association of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. The AISA has already launched a poster campaign on the JNU campus after coming to know of the problem from a few Malayali students.
P. Praveen, a research student in economics at JNU, has been staging a relay hunger strike since the last few days along with Nitta Gelatin Action Council (NGILAC).
“As he was dehydrated on Wednesday, he was replaced by another action council member and the strike will continue for an indefinite period,” says Sandeep Louis, a student of JNU, doing research in art and aesthetics. He added that a team of AISA will visit Kathikudam next week and join the protest.
The Nitta Gelatin India Limited (NGIL) has been using animal bones and chemicals for the last 15 years to produce ossein, a precursor to gelatin. While NGIL is a successful Indo-Japanese venture, many community members and NGO studies have claimed that it has also destroyed the livelihood of many through its waste.
