Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Kin of Thevar jayanthi victims seek jobs


Relatives of the victims, who were attacked with a petrol bomb while returning from Pasumpon on Thevar Jayanthi, submitted a petition to the district administration appealing it to provide government jobs to the kin of the deceased and to provide better medical care for the burn victims undergoing treatment at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH). Twenty youth from S Puliankulam village were injured in the attack and the critically injured were admitted to private hospitals. Among them, three of them succumbed to their injuries on Sunday and tension prevailed in the district when the bodies of the deceased were taken back.
Under these circumstances, the relatives of the injured led by their panchayat vice-president, A Abdul Bari visited the district collectorate on Monday during the public grievance redressal day and submitted a petition to collector, Anshul Mishra claiming that the compensation of Rs 5 lakh provided was not sufficient and asked the government to double it. Among the villagers were the parents of the 10 youth who are undergoing treatment in GRH.
In an effort to seek better medical care for the victims, the parents attempted to hand over the compensation cheques provided for the injured and asked the collector to transfer them to private hospitals. The villagers stated that the injured are not from a particular community as speculated, but from various communities living in the village who wanted to visit Pasumpon on Thevar Jayanthi.
Receiving their petition, Mishra told them that returning the compensation cheques will not be a right gesture and the compensation for the injured was provided as a monetary benefit for the families. He also assured them that the injured admitted in GRH are provided best medical care and if the families are willing to shift them to private hospitals, the district administration is ready for such a step. Following this, the villagers accepted to take back the compensation cheques and suggested three of the youth, Karthik, Sathish and Senthil can be shifted to private hospitals. Based on the assurance from collector, they dispersed from the place.
Meanwhile, tension prevailed in the southern districts and shops downed shutters in protest against the murder of six men, who participated in the Thevar Jayanthi celebrations.
Thevar Jayanthi was marred by the murder of three men who went to attend the celebrations near Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram district on October 30. In a related incident, a petrol bomb hurled at a vehicle returning to Madurai, resulted in 20 people sustaining grievous burns. Three of them succumbed to death on Sunday, sparking sporadic violence and bus services were affected on some routes in Madurai for a few hours on Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, the Thevar Samudhaya Kootamaippu headed by Sridhar Vandhaiyar has announced a state-wide protest over the killings, demanding a judicial probe into the killings and the arrest of those involved in the incidents. Shops downed shutters in Krishnankovil near Sattur in Virudhunagar district, following a call given by the Annaithu Thevar Iyakkam. Commercial establishments and the Kovilpatti market also remained closed.
Idhaikattur village near Manamadurai remained tensed as mobs went around demanding that the shops remain close and a police team led by DSP Karunanidhi rushed to the spot. The protesters are demanding that those responsible for the murders be booked under the Goondas Act and arrested immediately.

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