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Marad: more families return home

By R. Madhavan Nair

KOZHIKODE OCT. 11. More Muslim families settled down in their homes in Marad on the second day of the Government's rehabilitation programme today.

At a function held at the Marad Arya Samajam office, the State Secretary, K.K. Vijayakumar, distributed the enhanced compensation amount to the kin of the victims of the May 2 massacre under the Marad peace package approved by the Cabinet.

The ongoing rehabilitation process and the payment of enhanced compensation of Rs. 10 lakhs for those killed, besides compensation ranging from Rs. 3 to 5 lakhs for the injured, are the major steps aimed at restoration of peace in Marad.

While eight families received the enhanced compensation of Rs. 10 lakhs, five seriously injured got Rs. 5 lakhs each and seven others Rs. 3 three lakhs each.

The Revenue Divisional Officer, P. Balan, said that 58 families had returned home by the evening. It was also officially announced that the number of families rehabilitated on Friday was 72.

Eighty-seven families were to be rehabilitated today. But some turned up late at the Payyanakkal Government School from where they were to be taken to Marad. They were either taken back to their relief camps at Kappakkal and Chaliyam or put up at the school itself.

The resettlement process went off peacefully today even though it took place near the scene of the massacre in which nine persons, including a non-Muslim, were hacked to death. The houses of some of the rehabilitated families were near the Juma Masjid and the Arya Samajam office.

Provisions are being given free of cost. And revenue officials are overseeing the repair of houses and supply of drinking water. Cleaning of houses and wells is still on. Sarvodaya workers, camping in Marad, helped the families carry their belongings and the relief kits provided to them by the Government.

Mr. Vijaya Kumar, who was expected in Marad on Friday, reached the village only today. Speaking to presspersons, he said he had delayed his visit to bring with him the funds needed to pay compensation to the Hindu families and provide relief material to the Muslims. He handed over a draft for Rs. 2 crores to the district administration to meet the expenditure. He said more funds would be released if necessary.

Though the Government has distributed generous compensation, many felt that it was not enough to restore peace.

The chairman of the Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi, P. Gopinathan Nair, and social worker, Thayatt Balan, who are camping in Marad, said that there were no quick fix solutions to bridge the communal divide caused by the massacre. Sarvodaya volunteers hope to conduct a house-to-house campaign programme in the coming days. The resettlement process would continue tomorrow.

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