The ancient archaeological wonder of the Before Christ period of the Tamil Sangam kingdoms -Piranmalai in the Sivagangai district of present-day Tamil Nadu is in peril as the sand mining nexus of the mafia-government officials and leaders is playing havoc with the ecology and environment without a let-up. Naam Tamilar Katchi party has taken on the mantle to save the zone and has strongly protested the ongoing sand mining. NTK has also decided to take legal action against transporters, administrators and all those involved in this illegal racket.

LIKE IN PUNJAB AND HARYANA, EVEN IN TAMIL NADU, the people of the states are unable to stop the menace of illegal sand-mining and flagrant violation of sand mining regulations. Despite protests by political parties, civil rights activists and environment zealots, the Tamil Nadu administration and its political leaders couldn’t care less.

From saving plant life to animal life, the Naam Tamilar Katchi party’s environmental wing has been at the forefront of protesting all unlawful activities endangering the environment.

NTK State coordinator Engineeer Vetri Kumaran, who organised a massive protest outside the Collector’s office at Sivagangai to protest the illegal sand mining around the ancient temple sites of Piranmalai told The World Sikh News, “Private mafia groups owing allegiance to the ruling AIADMK -All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party are indulging in large-scale illegal sand-mining even though the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has ordered a blanket ban on river sand mining in Tamil Nadu.”

Corrupt tehsildars allow limitless mining and it would be naive to expect any action from them. They are partners in the crime. Vetri Kumaran told WSN, “It is an open secret in this district that Handlooms and Texttiles Department minister G Baskaran from Sivagangai and the AIADMK Sivagangai district secretary are patrons of these illegal activities.”

“Private mafia groups owing allegiance to the ruling AIADMK -All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party are indulging in large-scale illegal sand-mining even though the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has ordered a blanket ban on river sand mining in Tamil Nadu.”

Vetri kumaran, NTK State Coordinator

Speaking at the protest Vetri Kumaran said, “NTK activists have been threatened and beaten by goons of the illegal sand miners but we are not going to budge and continue our protests. NTK will not tolerate illegal sand mining anymore. We are already contemplating legal action seeking dismissal of corrupt and erring officials. We have cautioned lorry drivers too.”

Like in many other states, the powerful sand mafia does not care for the High Court. With support from the Tehsildar -revenue official at the district level and the officials of the Minerals department, all norms of sand-mining are being flouted.

The nexus is completed with the truck owners not following Tamil Nadu government guidelines and being complicit with the illegal sand miners in transporting sand, most of the times in the middle of the night and many times brazenly even during the day.

“Pranmilai is our heritage archaeological location since Tamil Sangam times. In the name of “progress” sand-mining and other forms of mining have already ruined the place. I urge the government to protect and safeguard this historic place.”

Seeman, Chief coordinator, Naam Tamilar Katchi

Drawing a parallel between how governments are in league with lawbreakers and big business, NTK party ideologue Jeeva Dawning told WSN, “Just as the government of Punjab is handing over the Mattewara forests to big business houses by destructing the green cover of Punjab, similarly the government of Tamil Nadu is hell-bent on destroying Piranmalai. We have to fight this tooth and nail.”

“The Naam Tamilar Party is determined to protect the environs of the state and we will continue our democratic protests against illegal sand-mining,” he added.

Environmentalists have stated time and again that limitless sand-mining is a direct threat to the ecology of the state, but this has fallen on deaf ears. Sadly, even the onset of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has also not deterred the perpetrators from committing this crime against the environment.

“Just as the government of Punjab is handing over the Mattewara forests to big business houses by destructing the green cover of Punjab, similarly the government of Tamil Nadu is hell-bent on destroying Piranmalai. We have to fight this tooth and nail.”

Dawning Jeeva, NTK ideologue

At the time of the filing of this story, it is learnt that the Sivagangai city has filed a case of violation of public peace against NTK State coordinator Vetri Kumaran and district coordinator Sivagangai district Sayal Ram and 50 other cadres of NTK.

Pro-Tamil Naam Tamilar Katchi Chief coordinator Seeman was forthright in his comments while talking to The World Sikh News, “Like skin is for the body, so are rivers and sands for mother earth. We cannot stay silent while mother earth is being destroyed in front of our own eyes.”

“Pranmilai is our heritage archaeological location since Tamil Sangam times. In the name of “progress” sand-mining and other forms of mining have already ruined the place. I urge the government to protect and safeguard this historic place,” he added.

Pranmalai is gasping for breath. Let us all join hands to liberate it.