THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Cheriyathura, which is bleeding from the wounds inflicted by the police on Sunday, is the same place where three persons were killed in the police firing in 1959.
The struggle that followed had led to the downfall of the EMS Ministry.
A pregnant woman, Flori, who was killed in that firing, had emerged as a martyr of the Liberation Struggle.
Sunday’s police firing killed five persons. Though there are no political and social issues involved in the clashes, the Popular Front of India (PFI), an offshoot of the erstwhile NDF with its extremist brand of politics, is all set to draw political mileage out of the issue. The character of the coastal regions of the Thiruvananthapuram district has always been volatile; ready for the most violent reaction at the slightest provocation. Earlier, on July 18, 1992, a very minor incident had resulted in a massive riot at the neighbouring Poonthura.
The political situation prevailing then after the demolition of the Babri Masjid had added fuel to the fire.
Last Saturday night, a criminal Kombu Shibu, alias Shibu, of the fishermen’s colony at Cheriyathura had gone on an extortion drive in the nearby Beemapally area.
Shibu had been regularly engaged in collecting extortion money from the traders of Beemapally, notorious for the smuggled goods business.
When the traders refused to give extortion money, Shibu and his friends damaged some shops there. He also destroyed fishing boats anchored at the Beemapally shore. In retaliation, a group of young men from Beemapally entered Cheriyathura area and damaged vehicles parked there. What followed was a group war. As both groups belonged to different communities, the clashes took a communal colour soon. The police team, which rushed to the spot, could ensure a temporary truce late on Saturday night.
But, things went out of control on Sunday. The attacks were repeated more violently. Houses and fishing boats were attacked in both Cheriyathura and Beemapally.
Several people were seriously injured. When the police team arrived on the spot, country bombs were reportedly hurled at them. The police resorted to firing, killing five men. This is the version the police give off-the-record.
Locals point out several loopholes in the police theory. Their allegation is that the police resorted to firing without taking the lathi-charge or tear gas shell-firing routes. There are also reports that Sub Collector K. Biju had refused to order firing.
A police officer in the rank of Assistant Commissioner stationed in the area had ordered the firing - disregarding the advice of the Sub Collector - after receiving approval from some quarters.
The incident would have been controlled if the police had taken steps to control the activities of Shibu. Shibu was released from jail only recently and had resumed collecting extortion money from the traders of the area.
There were reports that Shibu had recently collected extortion money even from an ASI of the Valiyathura police station.
There were also reports that the police had not been able to nab Shibu reportedly owing to his connections with some persons in the police force.
It was on the same Cheriyathura beach that Flory Pereira and her fellow martyrs of the Liberation Struggle, Lazer Pereira and Antony Rebeira, were killed in the police firing of July 3, 1959. They had lost their lives during a protest march against the EMS-led Government.