All-party meet ends on a positive note

By Our Special Correspondent

KOZHIKODE, SEPT. 28. The all-party meet held here today ended on a positive note with the Chief Minister, Mr. A. K. Antony, declaring at the end of the meet that ``the ice has started melting...the general mood is now strongly in favour of restoring lasting peace in Nadapuram.''

Briefing presspersons after the meeting, which lasted more than two hours, the Chief Minister said all parties had agreed to participate in a joint effort to build up a climate conducive to restoration of lasting peace in the strife-torn region.

The joint campaign, to be undertaken in the Nadapuram Assembly constituency, would spread the message of peace and appeal to the people to `forget and forgive' all the unfortunate incidents of the past. The campaign would culminate in a grand `peace rally.' The date of the rally had not been decided but a five-member committee was constituted to lead the peace initiatives and organise the rally.

The committee includes the KPCC president, Mr. K. Muraleedharan, the CPI(M) leader, Mr. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the Industries Minister, Mr. P. K. Kunhalikutty, the Nadapuram MLA and CPI leader, Mr. Binoy Viswam, and the Kozhikode District Collector, Mr. Bishwanath Sinha.

The Chief Minister said top leaders of all political parties would attend the rally. As part of its efforts to bring about lasting peace in Nadapuram, the Government would withdraw the ban orders now in force on October 2. But the strong police presence in the region would continue. It was also decided to set up a new police station at Valayam, which was the epicentre of rioting recently.

The Government changed its stand that compensation need not be paid to riot-victims as it would be taken as an incentive to indulge in violence. Mr. Antony said the Government did not, in principle, support the demand raised at the meeting today for compensation to victims of violence in Nadapuram. But an exception would be made in deference to the demands raised by the leaders today. A token amount would be paid as compensation as a gesture of sympathy. Its volume and beneficiaries would be decided by the District Collector in consultation with leaders of political parties.

It has also been decided that the bilateral talks between the IUML and the CPI(M), represented by Mr. Kunhalikutty and Mr. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, which was initiated at the last peace talks, held here in the presence of the Chief Minister, will continue to strengthen the peace process.

The Finance Minister, Mr. K. Sankaranarayanan, the Health Minister, Mr. P. Sankaran, the PWD Minister, Dr. M.K. Muneer, the IUML leaders, Mr. Korambayil Ahmed Haji, Mr. P. K. K. Bava and Mr. C. Moieenkutty, the CPI(M) leaders, Mr. Kelappan, and Mr. A. Kanaran, the CPI leaders, Mr. E.K. Vijayan and Mr. Sathyan Mokeri, and Mr. C. P. Kannan of the BJP were present at the meeting.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Help SSIs improve technology, Govt., banks told
Next     : CM rules out probe into SFI violence