http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article2447937.eceRAMANATHAPURAM, September 13, 2011
Uneasy calm in Ramanathapuram district
C. Jaishankar
Bodies of three persons who were killed in Sunday's police firing in
Paramakudi being taken to their villages from Madurai. Photo: S. James
The Hindu Bodies of three persons who were killed in Sunday's police
firing in Paramakudi being taken to their villages from Madurai.
Photo: S. James
Death toll goes up to six; police say situation under control in
violence-affected areas
Even as an uneasy calm prevailed in many parts of Ramanathapuram
district on Monday, a day after the police opened fire on Dalit
protesters at Paramakudi near here, the death toll went up to six.
After post-mortem, the bodies of two of the victims were taken to
their respective villages from hospitals in Ramanathapuram and
Parmakudi under tight police security. The last rites were performed
in the presence of a large number of police and revenue personnel.
Five Point Junction, which bore the brunt of the violence, wore a
deserted look. A large number of stones were strewn along the arterial
roads of the town, particularly the Madurai-Rameswaram highway,
Mudukulathur and Ilayangudi roads.
Almost all shops and business establishments in Paramakudi town
remained closed for the second consecutive day. Similarly, fearing a
backlash, most of the shops put up the shutters in Ramanathapuram,
Tiruvadanai, Parthibanur, Abiramam, Kamudhi, Kadaladi, Mudukulathur
and other areas. Schools and colleges remained closed. All TASMAC
shops in the district have been closed indefinitely.
Bus services to various sensitive places were suspended for the second
consecutive day. There was no movement of public transport to
Paramakudi, Mudukulathur, Kamudhi, Parthibanur and other places. Bus
connectivity between Rameswaram and Madurai, via Ramanathapuram and
Paramakudi, also remained suspended. However, services between
Rameswaram and Tiruchi were resumed.
Additional reinforcement of police personnel, including Deputy
Inspector Generals and the Superintendents of Police, drawn from
various districts of the State, have been sent to places which had
witnessed caste violence in the past. Mobile parties, with Armed
Reserve police, have been asked to monitor the movement of anti-social
elements.
Rajesh Das, Inspector General of Police, South Zone, who held several
rounds of meetings with police personnel at Parmakudi, told The Hindu
that the situation was under control. All experienced officers had
been brought to the district for bandobust. Adequate police strength
was drawn from various parts. There would not be any more incidents.
Asked what prompted the police to open fire, Mr. Das said since the
matter was to be probed by an inquiry commission it was not proper for
him to speak about it.
Collector V. Arun Roy, who visited the injured at the hospitals, said
that normality was restored in the district. The revenue officials,
with magisterial powers, have been posted at many places.
Attempt to set bus on fire
Virudhunagar Staff Reporter writes:
Miscreants attempted to set afire a State-run bus and smashed the
windscreen of another vehicle in the district on Monday.
Timely intervention by the Fire and Rescue Service personnel saved the
bus from being charred.
The police said that the fire was noticed at around 2 p.m. on the
Virudhunagar-Sankaralingapuram town bus parked in the Old Bus Stand.
Local people alerted Fire and Rescue Service personnel who rushed to
the spot.
Earlier, a mob of around 20 persons destroyed the windscreens of a
town bus near Sivakasi. After intercepting the Sivakasi-Sattur town
bus at Mayiladumparai, the mob broke the windshield with clubs and by
throwing stones. No passenger was injured.
On Sunday, incidents of damaging two buses, one at Amathur and another
at Soolakarai, were reported in the district.
Over 500 persons blocked the Virudhunagar-Srivilliputtur road at
Senkundrapuram on Monday morning demanding Rs.10 lakh compensation for
the families of those killed in police firing on Sunday at Paramakudi.
They also sought release of all those arrested.
Three bodies sent amid tight security
Staff Reporter from Madurai writes:
Post-mortem was conducted on the bodies of three Dalits hailing from
Ramanathapuram district, who were killed in Sunday's police firing,
here on Monday even as scores of Dalits gathered at Government Rajaji
Hospital (GRH).
The bodies were later sent to the victims' villages amid tight
security. While Vellaichami (65) of Chatrakudi succumbed to bullet
injuries in hospital, Theerpukani (27) of Melakodumanur and Muthukumar
of Kaattuparamakudi were brought dead to GRH.
Balakrishnan (19) and Jayaprakash (19), who suffered bullet injuries
in the police firing at Chinthamani in Madurai were shifted to a
private hospital after their relatives complained that the treatment
was unsatisfactory.
Eleven persons who were injured in police lathi charge at Paramakudi
and 13 others who sustained injuries during police action at
Chinthamani were also treated at the GRH.
Members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), led by former MLA
N. Nanmaran, and members of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication
Front visited the hospital.
P. Sampath, president, TNUEF, said that the injured were not being
treated properly. "One of the injured, Chaturagiri (22), told us that
the bullet which had pierced his left leg was yet to be removed."
Both CPI (M) and TNUEF condemned the police firing saying it could
have been avoided. "It was not at all wise on the part of the police
to arrest Dalit leader John Pandian on the guru puja day, when so many
Dalits had gathered at a single spot," said Mr. Sampath.
"Police showed restraint"
S. George, Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order,
visited two private hospitals in the city and met three police
personnel injured in the rioting. He said that the situation was under
control in Paramakudi and adequate police personnel have been
deployed.
Asked what actually happened in Paramakudi, he said that the police
had shown much restraint while facing the violent mob. "The situation
went out of control and we had to open fire."
As many as 99 persons have been arrested in connection with Sunday's
violence at Chinthamani.
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