The Hindu : Front Page : Chingoli in a state of shock

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 24, 2005

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Chingoli in a state of shock

A. Harikumar

SHATTERED FAMILY: Local people consoling the wife and son of Ramankutty Maniappan who was killed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. — Photo: Johney Thomas

ALAPPUZHA: Anger, shock and disbelief. Puthenveetil Thekkethil house at Chingoli village in Alappuzha looked shattered on Wednesday afternoon. Its sole breadwinner, Ramankutty Maniappan, is confirmed dead — executed by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The news was officially conveyed to Maniappan's father Ramankutty by the Chief Minister's office by 1.45 p.m.

``We lost our only hope in life and nobody did anything for my son,'' lamented Mr. Ramankutty on hearing the news. He said the higher officials of the Government did not bother to visit the family or inform them of the real situation. ``Were they afraid to come here?'' he asked. The village officer and the revenue divisional officer did visit them, but they did not tell them the real situation. They simply kept on repeating that moves were on to free Maniappan, he said.

The news was later conveyed to his wife and mother. Their wails brought tears to the eyes of the villagers who had assembled there to solace the family.

Maniappan's friends complained that the authorities were hiding the fact from the family even though the media had reported that Maniappan had been killed. There is a simmering protest among the villagers that the Union and the State Governments had failed to work efficiently to save the life Maniappan. ``Maniappan was a Union Government employee who went to Afghanistan as a part of his official duties and the Government should have made a serious effort to save his life,'' said Rajendran, a friend of Maniappan.

Local MLA T. K. Devakumar and M. M. Hassan, MLA, visited the house on Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, the Hindu Aikya Vedi has called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Karthikapally taluk on Thursday in protest against the failure of the Union Government to save the life of Maniappan. Vedi Alappuzha district general secretary V. Sushi Kumar said the Union Government and Union Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahmed had failed to take the issue seriously and that led to the execution of Maniappan.

A large number of villagers had turned up at the house to express their solidarity with the family in its hour of crisis.

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