Kasaragod violence: first major challenge for UDF Govt.

By Girish Menon

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 3. The Antony Government is facing its first major challenge in maintaining law and order following the eruption of violence in Kasaragod and the swath it seems to be leaving in the neighbouring districts.

Violence has broken out in these sensitive areas even before the Government could get down to a proper review of the law and order machinery, especially in the Kasaragod-Kannur belt, which has been a perpetual scene of violence. The Government's decision to deploy the Rapid Action Force to put down violence should be viewed in the context of the imperatives of the new UDF Ministry to prove that it means business when it comes to maintaining law and order.

Apart from this imperative, the Chief Minister, Mr. A. K. Antony, appears to have taken several other issues into consideration before bringing RAF into the scene. Even though the official line is that the RAF had been deployed in order to give a boost to the sagging morale of the police force, it is obvious that the Government took into account the fact that it had hardly got time to take a closer look at the law and order machinery in these districts.

Most of the officers were appointed during the LDF regime. Though official circles do not believe that the police force in the area was uncooperative, the lack of confidence in its ability to tackle law and order problem is evident.

Since the UDF is closer to the recent trends in law and order maintenance, the Government did not want to face the allegation that it had enforced the law in a partisan manner.

Kannur, Kasaragod, and parts of Kozhikode districts have been sensitive areas for quite some time now. Kannur was awitness to a spate of violence involving mainly the CPI(M) and the BJP.

In recent days, the clashes have been between the CPI(M) and the IUML. Their relations started souring up soon after the local bodies elections in September last year, when the IUML quietly decided to call off its hobnobbing with the CPI(M). There was a series of violence in Kasaragod soon after the local bodies elections, culminating in the violent Nadapuram clashes in January.

The major difference now is that the IUML is now a ruling partner. There are possibilities of the current round of clashes assuming a communal colour, if not put down with a heavy hand.

Mr. Antony apparently seems determined not to allow the UDF partner a free hand in the maintenance of law and order. It has come as a precautionary measure, a kind of message to the police force that the Government was determined to ensure that the rule of law prevailed.

The IUML has taken the decision to deploy the RAF in a sporting manner, as the party too does not want to convey a negative message at a time the UDF Government was facing its first test after taking over reins of office.

The party has been quick to condemn the series of violent incidents. The IUML all-India general secretary, Mr. E. Ahmed, said that his party was a matured one and, therefore, was observing utmost restraint in Kasaragod.

"We used to observe restraint even while we were in the Opposition. We are of the view that law and order should be maintained and peace restored in these areas," he added.

He alleged that the Kasaragod attacks were pre-meditated, and suggested a new trend in which houses were being plundered and innocent people being attacked. Reacting to the murder of the prime accused in the Nadapuram rape case, Mr. Ahmed said that the IUML was against permitting anyone taking law into their hands, even though the sentiments of the community had been wounded by the Nadapuram rape.

The current round of violence, according to UDF sources, suggests that the total overhaul of the police machinery in the sensitive district cannot be delayed any more. There are proposals to set up a special unit to tackle the Kannur-Kasaragod violence, not only covering criminal activities, but also curbing illegal bomb making and amassing of weapons.

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