Amid efforts to contain the nearly four-month-long stir against the Adani Vizhinjam port in Kerala, the state government has softened its stand, stating that central forces are not required at the project site.
Ports Minister Ahammed Devarkovil said the Adani ports sought central forces to protect the project site, but the state police would handle the law and order problems related to the agitation.
The state government on Friday did not object to Adani's plea before HC to deploy central forces at the project site, citing the state's failure to provide security to the port project. Hence, the HC also went ahead by seeking the Centre's opinion. Ruling CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan had defended the move.
However, the possibility of deploying central forces triggered strong criticism that the state government was admitting the police's failure. It also prompted allegations of the CPI(M)'s nexus with the BJP government at the Centre and the Adani group to suppress the stir using force.
Meanwhile, some Christian religious heads and CPI(M) district leaders have initiated mediatory talks to resolve the stir. A CPI(M) leader reportedly got in touch with representatives of the Thiruvananthapuram archdiocese of the Latin Catholic church, which is spearheading the movement. The agitators were now raising a new demand to withdraw the case registered against them.
On Sunday, Latin Catholic Thiruvananthapuram archbishop Thomas J Netto said that the state government should take the initiative for talks. He also clarified that the agitators never demanded that the project be scrapped but only to halt the construction until people's concerns were addressed.
Houses for all who lost homes in coastal erosion and a study into the impact of port construction on the coastal areas are among the key demands of the agitators.