TIRUNELVELI: Over 100 cadres of various political parties, and members of labour wings and community associations paid their respects to the 16 Manjolai tea estate labourers and a child, who drowned in Thamirabarani river while trying to flee from a police lathi charge following a protest rally on July 23, 1999.
The deceased workers were employed at the Bombay Burma Trading Corporation’s (BBTC) tea estates in Manjolai. To commemorate their 23rd death anniversary, cadres of the CPI and Hindu Makkal Katchi paid homage by scattering flowers in Thamirbarani river, and Puthiya Tamilagam founder Dr K Krishnasamy arrived in a rally and paid his respects in the evening. As a preventive measure, fire and rescue service teams were readied on the river banks on Saturday. Earlier in the day, Tirunelveli City Deputy Commissioner Srinivasan inspected the area near the river in Kokkirakulam.