KANNUR: This town in Kerala, the scene of a continuing battle between the RSS and the CPM, endured yet another hartal on Saturday, a day after an RSS karyavahak (worker) was hacked to death in apparent revenge for the slaying of a CPM supporter earlier.
As in previous hartals called after inter-party violence, the shutdown was total in all of Kannur district and Mahe. Shops and businesses remained closed and KSRTC and private buses kept off the roads.
Police said there was no major untoward incident in the district bar a few minor incidents in Pariyaram and Puthiya There.
RSS karyavahak Choorakadu Biju, 34, was hacked to death by a gang at Palakode in Ramanthali panchayat near Payyanur on Friday. Police said he was attacked near the Palakode bridge at around 4 pm and sustained grievous injuries to the neck. Biju was taken to the Pariyaram Medical College Hospital but was declared brought dead.
The killing was the first since an all-party meeting was convened by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on February 14 to bring an end to the bloodshed in Kannur.
Biju’s cremation was scheduled to take places at Ramanthali later Saturday.
Police have registered a case against seven persons in connection with the murder. Officers said security has been beefed up across the district.
The BJP has blamed the CPM for the murder, which the latter party denied. On Saturday, the saffron party sent a delegation to the state’s governor P Sathasivam and demanded that Kannur be declared a disturbed area and placed under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Governor Sathasivam responded by urging chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to take immediate action to curb “such disturbing incidents”.
The chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has termed the murder of RSS leader a very unfortunate incident but said it should not set back the peace process. “Peace talks have produced good results. The authorities have taken precautions to maintain peace. But it is a fact that some incidents have occurred. What happened in Payyanur is very unfortunate. The incident is not going to help the peace process. But at the same time it should be seen as an isolated one,” Pinarayi said.
The chief minister said Biju’s killers would be brought to justice.