Kerala counts loss after factory attack

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala’s industry Wednesday counted its losses after a mob attack that gutted two rubber factories forced a business executive to warn that the state’s image had taken another blow.

One of the gutted factories belongs to a Malaysian group.

A mob of 150 people protesting alleged pollution ransacked and then torched two latex processing factories Tuesday in Malappuram district soon after a guard at one of them opened fire injuring a demonstrator.

Malappuram police chief K. Sethuraman said the damage to the two companies would be in excess of Rs.1.5 crore. “We have registered a case of attempt to murder against the security guard of RK Latex,” he said.

Sethuraman said trouble had been brewing for some time at Mampad village in Malappuram, 75 km from Kozhikode, over charges of pollution at the factories located within a one square kilometre radius.

“Court cases, discussions and talks have been going on for some time. What happened yesterday (Tuesday) was unfortunate,” he added.

According to Sethuraman, a guard at RK Latex plant fired and injured a protestor. In the melee, another person was stabbed.

The police said angry locals torched the two factories in retaliation. The administration has registered two cases of arson.

Rajiv Suri, chief executive officer of one of the gutted factories that belonged to the Malaysian group, denied allegations of pollution and added that the mob attack was a fallout of business rivalry.

He said his factory had the legal rights to operate and it implemented all rules relating to treatment of pollutants.

Suri said some locals had complained of foul smell from the factories but insisted his own unit was not to blame. Yet it was attacked.

“The undercurrent seems to be business rivalry,” Suri told IANS on telephone from Trichur. He added that there had been a mob attack a month ago when the factories were ransacked and asked to shut.

The units resumed work sometime back.

“Yesterday a group of about 100 people first scuffled with the security guards. A guard opened fire, injuring a protestor in the leg. After that a bigger mob set fire to parked vehicles, buildings and raw materials.

“We had about 40 employees and 40 workers. People jumped the boundary wall and ran away to save their lives. We have suffered huge economic loss.

“The attack has dealt a body blow to everyone, including Kerala’s image.”

But T. Balakrishnan, an official in the industries department, said: “This is a small incident. Don’t blow this up.”

Kerala accounts for 83 percent of India’s rubber production.