Perhaps it was for the first time in Ratnagiri district
that the people of this land carried out an organized march in the demand of a
huge industry. RRPCL, a grand petroleum refinery project of proposed investment of three thousand billion
INR; that was expelled from the
district before Lok Sabha Poll, is now receiving growing support of the local
people. The march led by no political party was participated by several
business and entrepreneurs’ associations in the district along with thousands
of land owners in the region of the factory site.
The march began following public reading of the petition
to be given to State Chief Minister through district collector. The history of
the short period commenced with the primary notification was revealed how the
land owners were positive and supportive from the beginning and later so called
environmentalists from Mumbai intervened to raise the agitation. They created a
picture of hostility, intimidated the women of baseless fear of infertility and
inborn disability. The supporting and responding peasants were threatened of
social boycott and menace like a spit march which discouraged them to come up
to express themselves. The land owners who had shown readiness to give their
land in the public hearing even had been made to swear after the name of the
local deities.
Although there wasn’t any single person to lead the march
a delegation comprised of eminent citizens of the district met Collector and
submitted the petition. The large mob awaiting outside the collector office
compound was appreciated by the passerby people as the participants maintained peace
and did not give any slogans; and too for cleanliness and discipline they
observed.
