Watch: Chennai rapper tells Unilever to ‘clean up their mess’ and detox Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal won’t step down. That’s the message Sofia Ashraf, a Chennai-based rapper, is sending out with her song to the corporate honchos at Unilever. [caption id=“attachment_2374358” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] YouTube screengrab from video.[/caption] Mercury poisoning in Kodaikanal, a popular hill station about 530 km from Chennai, due to dumping of toxic waste by Unilever’s now-shut thermometer factory is one of the the most infamous cases of shirking of corporate social responsibility in India. Ashraf raps out her concern and angst in a three-minute video highlighting toxic poisoning in Kodaikanal and its ill effects over the years. The song’s rhythm is based on Nicki Minaj’s ‘Anaconda’ and the lyrics speak of Unilever’s negligence and the toxic horror inflicted in the workers of the factory and the people of Kodai. “Now that’s some toxic shit,” Ashraf raps. The video demands Unilever to “clean up their mess” instead of giving big talk about corporate social responsibility. According to a report in The News Minute, the thermometer factory, owned by Ponds was moved from the US to Kodaikanal in 1983 and was acquired by Unilever. The factory dumped its toxic waste in waters, shrubs and forests of Kodaikanal and was later shut down after a dumpsite containing 7.4 tons of toxic waste containing crushed thermometers was found in 2001. Watch the brilliant video below, and sign the petition to bring Kodaikanal to justice.