The Hindu : SFI activists clash with police, 20 held

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 26, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

SFI activists clash with police, 20 held

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM July 25. The city police lobbed teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge to disperse an SFI protest march which turned violent in front of the Government Secretariat here on Thursday morning.

As many as 20 SFI activists and eight policemen were injured in the street violence which gripped the city for the better part of the day. The student activists hurled petrol bombs at the police from inside the University College.

Two Government cars were torched and several others damaged in different parts of the city.

The chain of events started at around 11.30 a.m. when more than 150 SFI activists marched to the Secretariat in protest against the Government's decision to allow Plus Two courses to unaided schools.

In an apparent bid to enter the Secretariat through the gate in front of the Cantonment police station, the SFI activists tried to break through the police cordon guarding the road. Some of the students bringing up the rear of the march hurled stones at the police.

A constable, Kazim, sustained serious injury in the stone-throwing. The police responded initially by pushing back the students. When the attempt failed, a lathicharge was ordered.

Following this, most of the protesters took to their heels while the SFI top-brass who were leading the protest bore the brunt of the lathicharge. The leaders, who tried to beat a retreat to the University College, were pursued by the police.

The 20-odd fleeing leaders were surrounded near the Swadeshabhimani Memorial and caned, even as they lay on the road. The Commissioner, who was at the Police Control Room, rushed to the spot and restrained the personnel by positioning himself between the policemen and the SFI leaders.

The leaders were then hustled into a police bus and taken to the Cantonment station.

Petrol bombs hurled

At this point, the police party led by the Commissioner was attacked with petrol bombs near the Spencer Junction. The bombs, resembling Molotov Cocktails, were hurled from inside the University College. The police responded by firing three teargas shells into the college campus. A few petrol bombs also exploded in front of the Senate Hall.

The police action sparked off a series of attacks against Government vehicles in various parts of the city. Two Government cars were torched, one near the AKG Centre and the other near the Model School. The windscreen of a KSRTC city bus was smashed near the University College.

High drama prevailed at the Cantonment police station where CPI(M) MLAs led by Thomas Isaac demanded that the SFI leaders who were being detained there be immediately given medical attention.

The police took the stand that no SFI activist would be taken to the hospital till the arrest procedures were completed. This led to a shouting match and finally, the SFI leaders were taken in a police bus to the Medical College Hospital.

The police have charged 20 SFI activists, most of them among the top State and district leadership, with arson, unlawful assembly, rioting and use of explosives. A report has been submitted at the magistrate court. The SFI activists would be produced before the court on Friday.

EC vehicles damaged

Miscreants smashed the windscreens of two cars parked inside State Election Commission office near the Nandavanam Armed Reserve Camp. Police suspect that the incident was related to the student violence in the city. A case has been registered.

Meanwhile, the SFI took out a march to the Government Secretariat in the evening to protest against the police action in which several of the organisation's top leaders were injured.

SFI charge

The SFI State Committe has accused the police of brutally beating up student leaders, including the State secretary, M. B. Rajesh, without provocation. The district president, P. Biju and M.P. Razal, were among those who were singled out and caned, a statement said.

The Commissioner said it was for the first time that petrol bombs were being used by protesters against the city police. He said the attack was "pre-planned and well organised''. The police had no choice but to resort to a lathicharge.

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