Image Courtesy: Screengrab taken from YouTube video uploaded by jhatkaa
"Kodaikanal won't step down, until you make amends now" - Chennai-born rapper Sofia Ashraf's message to a corporate is loud, clear and catching on swiftly.
Set to the upbeat tune of Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda", the rap calls out Hindustan Unilever Limited for their "failure to clean up mercury contamination or compensate workers affected by its thermometer factory in Kodaikanal."
"So here's the story
They set up a thermometer factory
Where workers handled toxic mercury
They dumped their waste in the local shurberry" - raps Sofia. All she and other protestors want is for Unilever to "clean up your mess" once and for all.
The rap goes on to say that the company's initial "clean up was a sham" and lists all the issues the toxic waste is and has allegedly been causing. She even enumerates various products by the company to make her point.
This unique protest, posted on July 30, has created quite a stir both in India and internationally. It's even reached Nicki Minaj:
The online buzz has helped gather 23,060 signatures in a petition asking Unilever to clean up. They only need 6,940 more signatures.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Unilever said they have "been rigorous in establishing the facts and several independent expert studies have concluded that there were no adverse impacts on the health of our people at Kodaikanal."
They also say, however, that they have "taken action to ensure the clean-up of soil within the factory premises."
The company spokesperson also agreed that there is a lot more to be done. "There is still work to do here - which we are committed to fulfilling - as soon as a decision on the level of remediation required is taken by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and consent given by them to start the soil remediation."
"This is an issue which we continue to take very seriously and we have been engaging with our former workers' representatives to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution. This is a long standing case and we would like to see it resolved for all involved," the spokesperson added.
We'll just have to wait and watch to see what happens next. In the meantime, Kodaikanal won't step down.