Chennai Five persons were killed in Ramanathapuram district when police opened fire at a violent mob protesting against the detention of their leader to prevent him from attending a communally sensitive function in the restive region on Sunday. As the violence threatened to escalate and spread to nearby districts, including Madurai where clashes between communities are common, police have clamped down on the entire region, bringing it under a tight security blanket.
If September 11, the death anniversary of murdered Dalit leader Immanuel Sekaran, has always been a volatile period, the spark this time was provided by the preventive arrest of a leader, John Pandian, to prevent him from attending the ‘guru puja’ organised at Paramakudi where a memorial has been built for the late leader. Also, Pandian was said to have plans to visit the house of a young Dalit student who was hacked to death by a gang on Friday, which the authorities feared could lead to unrest and incite violence.
The news about Pandian’s arrest while on the way to Paramakudi spread in a flash among his supporters, who staged instant protests on the streets. Soon, the agitators blocked roads and turned violent.
According to the police, the protesters refused to disperse despite repeated requests, and instead turned their ire on the personnel on ground. Police tried lathi-charge and fired teargas shells to disperse the mob, which, however, proved ineffective. The angry protesters instead retaliated by setting on fire a water cannon-mounted riot control vehicle and a fire tender among several vehicles. Few shops and a hut were damaged in the violence. They also hurled petrol bombs at the police, officials claimed. Police officers, including DIG Sandeep Mittal who was overseeing the law and order situation in connection with the function, were injured in stone-pelting.
At this point, police opened fire at the mob, killing five protesters. Only one, Manickam, 50, was identified so far. A few also suffered injuries.
“Police had to open fire at the protesters for self-protection and to protect public property,” said Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who also handles the Home portfolio, in a statement from Chennai. Even as she warned against staging such politically motivated violent protests, she said the government would provide Rs 1 lakh each for the families of the three killed in police firing.
The unrest threatened to spread to neighbouring districts, including Madurai where police had to open fire at John Pandian’s supporters who staged similar protests. Two persons were injured in police action, though their injuries are said to be relatively minor.
Immanuel Sekaran was a Dalit leader who aggressively championed the rights of his community and paid with his life for his virulent activism against oppression of the Dalits. The founder of Gospel Lutheran Christian Union that worked for the emancipation of the Pallar sub-caste among the Dalits, Sekaran angered the dominant Thevars including their unquestionable leader, Muthuramalinga Thevar. A series of clashes triggered by an election in 1957 led to Sekaran’s murder by a group of caste Hindus on September 11 that year; the day that has since been observed by his followers at Paramakudi in Ramanathapuram where a memorial has been raised. India Post had issued a stamp in his memory last year.
Sekaran is a common leader for many Dalit political outfits, including that of Tamizhaga Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam founded by John Pandian, who was released from the prison only last year after the Supreme Court acquitted him of murder. Pandian was once an ally of Jaya’s AIADMK when he unsuccessfully contested the Assembly election 10 years ago. The party had contested last election in coalition with a bevy of Dalit outfits, but failed to win any seats.
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