Tamil Nadu - Salem   

They came together to pray

By Our Special Correspondent

SALEM, JULY 19. With folded hands and tears rolling down her cheeks, a 14-year-old girl, studying in a Government school here offered her prayers. And so did hundreds of other students, who, with pain writ large on their faces paid a silent and tearful homage to the children who perished in the ravaging fire at a school in Kumbakonam.

Wearing black badges, the students in the districts of Salem and Namakkal offered floral tributes to the departed souls after their morning prayers. They stood in rows inside the school compound and observed a two-minute silence in memory of the children. Candles were lit in many schools. Flowers were placed before the photos of the dead children, which appeared in various newspapers for the last three days.

According to sources in the Department of Education, nearly seven lakh students studying in 4,000-and-odd schools in the districts of Salem and Namakkal today took part in the homage meeting. "The most inspiring element is that nearly 75 per cent of schools reported full attendance today despite prior announcement that schools would remain closed, as a mark of respect after the prayer meeting," pointed out a senior Educational official here.

The incident that pained the nation had its melancholic echo in Salem city and suburbs too. Hundreds of residents including children and women took out silent candle light processions from various points in the city on Sunday evening. The procession organised by the Thambi Kaliamman Koil Street in the city covered many streets and lanes in Ponnammapet.

Cadres of various political parties conducted prayer meetings in towns and villages. Residents of Edapadi and Mettur also took out a silent procession.

Earlier the Salem Collector, A. Sukumaran, and officials observed a two-minute silence at the Collectorate. The Police Commissioner, Abashkumar, led the prayer meeting in the office of Police Commissionerate. A homage meeting was organised at the Salem Union office. Automen in the city also took out a procession. The employees of many private establishments and banks also offered their homage.

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