The Hindu : Kerala News : Security tightened as Marad gears up to observe anniversary

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 01, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Security tightened as Marad gears up to observe anniversary

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE, APRIL 30. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) today staged a route march in the coastal belts of Kozhikode district in view of the first anniversary of the Marad killings on May 2. The march was taken out in the communally sensitive areas of Marad, Vellayil and Puthiyappa beaches coming within the limits of the police stations in the city. Three companies of paramilitary forces which arrived here for poll duty were camping in Kozhikode.

Only if required, the three companies consisting of over 100 personnel each, will be deployed in Marad and its adjoining areas on May 1 and May 2. Already there is an existing security system with 200 policemen and officers led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police at Marad. Control rooms of the police department and the district administration were also closely monitoring the law and order situation at Marad, senior police officials told The Hindu here today.

Surveillance had been strengthened in Kozhikode mainly because of the programmes being organised by the Hindu Aikya Vedi to observe the first anniversary of the Marad massacre on May 2. Since the police did not want to rake up a controversy during the election time, it had given permission to conduct the programmes.

Incidentally the Muslim community is also celebrating the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed on the same day. Various Muslim organisations have also planned programmes at the mosques and madrassas. Meetings, cultural events and rallies would be held on the occasion in various parts of Kozhikode. The Kozhikode district committee of the vedi with the support of the Sangh Parivar is organising a massive public meeting (Sradhanjali Day) at Vellayil beach at 5 p.m. on May 2. House to house campaigns and distribution of pamphlets are also being conducted on May 1. Major towns and panchayats in the district will also be the venues of similar programmes as announced by the Marad Araya Samajam secretary, T. Suresh, last week. Recently, Mr. Suresh has been inducted as State secretary of the vedi.

Swami Vivekachaithanya is expected to inaugurate the meeting on the Vellayil beach. The RSS ideologue and Bharatiya Vichara Kendram director, P. Parameswaran, and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) State organising secretary, Kummanam Rajashekaran, will take part in the meeting.

Police said the Vellayil beach lying close to the Kozhikode and Marad beaches was one of the communal hotspots identified in the district. Any communal incident normally triggers off another incident on this beach. One silver lining was that the police had been able to prevent any untoward incident last year when nine fishermen were killed on the Marad beach on May 2. The North Zone Inspector General of Police, Venugopal K. Nair, said the 10 companies of paramilitary forces would be deployed in North Kerala in the May 10 general elections. Sensitive polling booths in the Kasaragod, Kannur, Vadakara, Kozhikode and Manjeri Lok Sabha constituencies had already been identified by the police.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala