Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Widespread violence in State

TIGHT SECURITY: Teachers entering GLP School, Kottappadi, in Malappuram through the security gates for the cluster training programme on Saturday.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Violence broke out in many places across the State with the Muslim Youth League and the Youth Congress blocking cluster meetings organised by the Education Department for teachers’ training on Saturday.

James Augustine, headmaster of ALP School, Valillapuzha, died after being attacked by protesters in Malappuram district. Many teachers, students and youth workers were injured in various incidents.

The protests were in support of the demand for withdrawal of the controversial class VII social science textbook. A tense situation prevailed in several parts of the State as Democratic Youth Federation (DYFI) of India took out counter protests.

Teachers reporting for the cluster meetings were stopped by Youth Congress and Muslim Youth League activists. Teachers who resisted were attacked at several places. Youth League workers and DYFI activists clashed at many places as the latter opposed disruption of the cluster meetings. The police had to intervene to disperse warring groups.

In Admali, several Youth League workers were injured when they clashed with the police. Teachers and students sustained injuries during the blockade. Two Youth Congress workers were hospitalised in Kollam district after they were beaten up by DYFI men. Youth League workers came under attack in Alappuzha district.

The police resorted to a lathi-charge as protesters belonging to Left organisations threw stones at the venue of a hunger strike by the Youth Front (Mani) leader Job Michael in front of the Secretariat. The police later moved Mr. Michael, who had been on hunger strike for the past five days, to hospital.

Several teachers were injured at Karipol in Malappuram district in attacks by Youth League activists. Tension prevailed in Kannur town after Youth League workers took out a march to the venue of a cluster meeting at the Government Municipal Vocational Higher Secondary School. The League workers disrupted cluster meetings in Thrissur. Traffic was disrupted along the Kozhikode-Thrissur highway section because of a blockade. The police had a hard time removing protesters and preventing clashes.

At least four persons were injured in police action at Nadapuram in Kozhikode district. The protesters had thrown stones at the police.

Violence erupted between workers of the Indian Union Muslim League and Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kozhikode city and suburbs.

The offices of these political parties at Kunnamangalam, 15 km from here, were destroyed at around 8.15 p.m. Protesters from either side destroyed the flag posts of their rival party on roadsides.

A large posse of police were deployed to contain the situation after workers of each party assembled in the town. Assistant Commissioner of Police (North) C.M. Pradeep Kumar is camping in the area.

The Muslim League office at Karaparamba came under attack during load-shedding time at 8 p.m.

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