Bad Chemistry For Dupont

At an unfinished DuPont nylon factory in the Indian village of Keri, a cement slab marks the spot where Nilesh Naik was cremated in January. The 25-year-old villager was killed by local police on Jan. 23 as he and as many as 200 other DuPont Co. opponents tried to prevent company officials from getting to the site. A dozen others were wounded. The shootings sparked three days of attacks on DuPont's property. Today, charred furniture litters the concrete buildings. Burned vehicles lie about in the sun. DuPont has withdrawn all workers and ceased construction.

So ends DuPont's seventh year of trying to erect a $190 million nylon plant in Keri, in the southern state of Goa. Since 1987, the company has jumped over the hurdles thrown at it by the government, competitors, and environmentalists. But Naik's killing may have finally shaken the resolve of DuPont. The company is "reassessing" its plans, says Kenneth Hostelley, president of DuPont Far East Inc. With Thapar Ltd., its joint venture partner, DuPont may try to find a friendlier home elsewhere in India.