The Hindu : More groups demand judicial probe

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 06, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

More groups demand judicial probe

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM March 5. More groups and social activists have come out with demands for a judicial inquiry to bring out the entire truth behind the Muthanga incident.

Internationally renowned leader of the aboriginal people of New Zealand, Pauline E. Tangiora, today urged the Kerala Government to institute a judicial probe into the incident. Her statement was faxed to newspaper offices by the leader of National Fish Workers' Forum, Thomas Kocherry.

The All India Samata Sainik Dal, in another statement, said the Government should have voluntarily ordered a judicial inquiry into the Muthanga incident. It said every political party was guilty of neglecting the interests of the tribals in the State and allowing them to be exploited.

In yet another statement, the Religious Forum for Justice, representing 133 religious congregations in the State, condemned the police action against the tribals in Muthanga. It said there were several aspects of the incident on which the Government was bound to provide satisfactory answers.

Why did the Adivasis resort to such a struggle? Did the situation warrant the use of brutal force by the police? How many tribals were killed in the action? What happened to the tribals reported missing? Was the toll of the police firing more? Did the police burn or bury the victims, as suspected by most people?

These questions needed clear answers, the Religious Forum for Justice said.

``If everything is all right, why is the Kerala Government afraid of ordering a judicial inquiry?'', the forum asked.

The president of Janasakthi, K. E. Mammen, said that if the Government was not willing to order an inquiry, it should at least cooperate with the inquiry being initiated by the former Supreme Court judge, V. R. Krishna Iyer.

Press Council visit

Our Staff Reporter adds from Palakkad:

Three members of the Press Council of India led by Suresh Akhouri, president of the Indian Journalists Union (IJU), will be visiting Muthanga on March 22 to inquire into the police action there and the attack on journalists who went to cover the police action against the tribals there.

The two other Press Council members who will be visiting Muthanga are Sabina Indrajit, secretary, IJU and Geetharth Pathak, secretary of the Assam Journalists Union.

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