Case filed against farmers, women over rally against Tungsten mining in Madurai
By : DC Web Desk
Update: 2025-01-08 06:39 GMT
A case has been registered against approximately 5,000 farmers and women from 40 villages in Madurai's Melur region following a large-scale protest rally on Tuesday. The protesters demanded that the Central Government scrap the proposed Tungsten mining project at Nayakkarpatti village.
According to local media reports, the Tallakulam police filed a case under two sections for allegedly violating permit restrictions.
The rally, spanning nearly 25 kilometers, began at Narasingampatti village on the Tiruchirappalli-Madurai national highway and ended at the Head Post Office in Tallakulam. Farmers, farm workers, and women participated in large numbers, raising concerns about the environmental and social implications of the proposed mining project.
Tensions arose when the police stopped the protesters at Mattuthavani while they attempted to enter the city. However, the police later permitted the march to continue.
Responding to allegations from AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, State Law Minister S. Regupathy clarified that police had granted permission for the rally.
The villagers have been protesting for over a month, demanding that the Centre revoke its decision to award Tungsten mining rights to Hindustan Zinc Limited. The project involves approximately 5,000 acres of land across ten villages in Melur taluk. The issue also made waves in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, which unanimously passed a resolution in December 2024 urging the Centre to cancel the mining proposal.
According to local media reports, the Tallakulam police filed a case under two sections for allegedly violating permit restrictions.
The rally, spanning nearly 25 kilometers, began at Narasingampatti village on the Tiruchirappalli-Madurai national highway and ended at the Head Post Office in Tallakulam. Farmers, farm workers, and women participated in large numbers, raising concerns about the environmental and social implications of the proposed mining project.
Tensions arose when the police stopped the protesters at Mattuthavani while they attempted to enter the city. However, the police later permitted the march to continue.
Responding to allegations from AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, State Law Minister S. Regupathy clarified that police had granted permission for the rally.
The villagers have been protesting for over a month, demanding that the Centre revoke its decision to award Tungsten mining rights to Hindustan Zinc Limited. The project involves approximately 5,000 acres of land across ten villages in Melur taluk. The issue also made waves in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, which unanimously passed a resolution in December 2024 urging the Centre to cancel the mining proposal.