Student activist Valarmathi arrested for opposing Salem-Chennai green corridor project

SALEM, JUNE 19,
The Salem police on Tuesday arrested Valarmathi, a student activist, on the charge of attempting to disrupt a meeting of revenue and police officials with stake holders of Achankuttapatti on the proposed Salem–Chennai ‘green corridor’ project.
Police sources said that Valarmathi was present at the meeting along with local villagers and questioned the move of acquiring fertile lands for the project.
Officials informed her that it was a meeting exclusively for the residents of the Acchankuttapatti area and she should not participate.
Officials claimed that she continued to argue with them contending that the eight-lane project will only pave for destruction of natural wealth of the western belt and will prove to be a severe blow to the livelihoods of a large number of farmers.
As the efforts of the officials to send her out of the meeting hall proved futile, the Veeranam police arrested her and removed her from the scene.
Ms Valarmathi was a few months ago detained by the Salem City Police under the Goondas Act for allegedly distributing pamphlets containing slogans “harming national interests”. The Madras High Court had quashed her detention.
Valarmathi is the second activist to be arrested by the Salem City Police for opposing the government project. Piyush Manush, an environmental activist attached to the ‘Saleme Kural Kodu’ movement, was arrested by the Theevattipatti police late Monday evening .