Southern States - Kerala

Toddy tappers turn violent in Thrissur

By Our Staff Reporter

THRISSUR JUNE 4. The Collectorate picketing organised by the joint action council of various trade unions of toddy tappers to protest against the new abkari policy of the State Government turned violent today assuming almost the dimensions of a street war at many places.

Two KSRTC buses, two police vans, a police jeep, a police motorcycle, one private car and an autorickshaw were completely burnt by the agitators. An outlet of the Kerala Beverages Corporation was also set on fire. Another KSRTC bus and a fire-brigade vehicle were partially set aflame during the violent spree in which about 75 persons, including 46 policemen, were injured. The injured included the CPI Legislative Party leader, K P Rajendran, the CITU leaders, A Padmanabhan, P K Pushpangadan and K V Haridas, the DySPs, Prathapan, and Unnirajan and the CI, Mathew.

Several media persons were also at the receiving end of the rage of the irate crowd. The photographers and cameramen of the visual media had to face the major brunt of the assaults by the agitators.

Two DySPs, three CIs, eight SIs and 140 police personnel were on duty before the Collectorate to prevent any untoward incident. The police first tried to chase away the agitators through lathi-charge and then burst about 15 tear-gas shells. But when they realised that the situation was not improving, they fired about eight rounds of rubber bullets.

On their way back, the mob set on fire an autorickshaw and a police van that was parked on the same city-Ayyanthole road. A telecom junction box on the road was also set ablaze. A KSRTC bus and a police motorcycle and another police van were burnt on Thrissur-Kanjani Road. The agitators blocked another KSRTC bus was set ablaze on the Shankarayyer Road and the fire-brigade vehicle, which was rushing to the spot. Later it was attacked as it was being parked on a lane near Kottappuram. A police jeep was also torched at the Shankarayyer Road junction, after turning it upside down.

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