Tuticorin massacre

It is unfortunate that the Tamilnadu police have behaved worse than animals when they had pounced on the people who were protesting against the Sterlite Manufacturing unit and were demanding the closure of the said unit. It is unpardonable that without giving any war ning and taking precautions,the police have opened fire indiscriminately resulting in the death of 12 people and leaving many severely injured. It looks as if the attack by the police was preplanned in deference to the wishes of the management of Sterlite tacitly supported by the AIADMK gover nment. It is to be noted that the BJP minister Pon Radhakrishnan had earlier commented that there was no possibility of closing the Sterlite unit thereby confir ming that the BJP was against the protests of the local people. H Raja, the BJP leader has also hastened to justify police opening fire on the protesters giving enough clue to the people to realise at whose command the cold blooded murder of the protesters has taken place. As the local gover nment has failed to maintain law and

order and have been remaining a mute spectator unable to counter the dictates of those who gave the shooting order, the chief minister and his cabinet should resign immediately. It is also time for the gover nor to recommend dismissal of the state gover nment if he is really interested in the welfare of the people of the state. — Tharcius S Fernando