Oppn. walkout over Kannur violence

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, DEC. 20. The entire Opposition staged a walkout from the Assembly for the second day today to protest against the rejection by the Government of its motion to adjourn the normal business of the House to discuss the political violence and murders in Kannur district.

The walkout followed the denial of permission by the Speaker, Mr. M. Vijayakumar, to move the motion on the basis of the Chief Minister, Mr. E.K. Nayanar's statement that the situation had been brought under control by strong police action.

The Chief Minister said that the fresh spate of violence during the first week of the current month began with the attack on a CPI(M) activist by RSS workers on December 1. The CPI(M) workers mounted a retaliatory attack the same night. The next day, another CPI(M) worker was attacked. In the evening, a 50- strong group of RSS workers attacked a vehicle in which CPI(M) leaders, including Mr. E.P. Jayarajan and MLAs, were returning from a public function. Mr. Jayarajan was injured and was treated at the Thalassery Cooperative Hospital. The police had to resort to firing to disperse the assailants. There was another attack on a vehicle carrying CPI(M) leaders, including MLAs Mr. M.V. Jayarajan, Mr. T.K. Balan. Mr. M.V. Govindan Master and Mrs. K.K. Shylaja, on December 4. The first two were injured and had to undergo treatment. Three workers each of the CPI(M) and the RSS were killed in the fresh spate of violence. Thirty-five persons belonging to the former and 31 to the latter were injured. The situation had since been brought under control through strong police action which included imposition of prohibitory orders in many police station limits and the peace efforts initiated by the District Collector under the leadership of the Minister, Mr. T.K. Ramakrishnan. As many as 102 cases had been registered and 118 persons, 74 belonging to the CPI(M) and 44 to the RSS-BJP combine, had been arrested in connection with the incidents.

Mr. K. Sudhakaran of the Congress(I) who spoke seeking leave for the motion charged the CPI(M) with having triggered the fresh spate of violence. The attack on the vehicle carrying Mr. Jayarajan was by way of retaliation. He contended that Mr. Jayarajan did not even suffer a scratch in the attack. But the CPI(M) had played up the attack and it was this which led to the death of six persons. He felt that the latest spate of violence could have been avoided had the police been more vigilant as the death anniversaries of some who were killed in violence fell during the period. The situation was explosive in spite of the Chief Minister's claim to the contrary. A VI Std student was injured in a bomb explosion only the day before. The CPI(M) and RSS cadres were making and stocking bombs as if in a war area. They were taking over control of villages where others were not permitted. They were imparting training in which cadres were made to kill goats. He said that the maiming of innocent children was one more reason to end the violence in Kannur. He cited the cases of Asna and Amavasi in this connection. The destruction, looting and plunder were other reasons.

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. A.K. Antony, who led the walkout, said that the abrupt ending of violence as if like switching off a light following the intervention of leaders in Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur after the assailants started targeting leaders in Kannur proved that the violence was pre- planned and deliberate. His indictment of the CPI(M) saying that it was involved in all the incidents seemed to have provoked the Chief Minister, who charged him with being anti-CPI(M). ``He did not utter a word against the BJP,'' Nayanar said and added, ``Did he not call for the deployment of the Army as well? Mr. Antony retorted, ``What else should I do if you go abroad when there was an outbreak of violence in the district?''

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