The Hindu : T.N. journalists beaten up at Mukkali

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 16, 2003

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National

T.N. journalists beaten up at Mukkali

By Our Staff Reporter

Coimbatore Feb. 15. A team of mediapersons from Mettupalayam was beaten up by the Kerala police and villagers during a visit to Mukkali, where the Kerala Government is building a weir across the Bhavani.

Nearly 10 journalists, accompanied by some farmers and members of the Kongu Ilaigar Peravai in Erode, had gone to Mukkali for taking photographs and to see the progress of the construction work. The weir, it is feared, would adversely affect agriculture in the Coimbatore and Erode districts.

Initially, the Kerala police were said to have prevented the team from entering the construction site. Later, they allowed the newsmen and photographers/videographers to enter. Even as the lensmen were taking photographs, a wordy duel ensued between the villagers and construction workers, who accused the Tamil media of creating a rift between the States on this issue. This culminated in a fisticuff.

The police personnel, who joined the fray, are alleged to have roughed up the scribes and snatched their cameras and video cameras. They removed the film rolls before returning the cameras and reportedly detained the scribes for a couple of hours.

Seven journalists and five members of the Peravai were admitted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital. Journalists here decided to take out a protest march on Monday besides sending telegrams to the Chief Ministers of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Our Palakkad Staff Reporter writes:

The police version was not available as the communication facilities to the Agali police station in Attappady were down.

In a statement, the Kerala Journalists Union condemned the attack and alleged that it was "a deliberate attempt" on the part of some policemen to create problems that would work against Kerala in the inter-State water dispute.

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