CUMBUM: The protest against Kerala’s insistence on decommissioning the Mullaiperiyar dam took a new turn on Monday with a 19-year-old boy in Tamil Nadu attempting self-immolation to send out a ‘burning message’ to the Centre.Police rescued the youth Selvapandi hailing from Gudalur village in Theni district and admitted him at the local Primary Health Centre and subsequently to the Government Hospital at Cumbum. He is out of danger.It is believed that Kerala’s stand on the dam row coupled with the recent attacks on Sabarimala pilgrims from TN and villagers living in the bordering areas of Kerala down south had provoked Selvapandi into attempting the extreme step.“I will sacrifice my life for the Tamils and for Mullaiperiyar dam. The lives of Tamils should be safeguarded in the border regions,” Selvapandi told journalists from his hospital bed.Eyewitnesses said that Selvapandi had assembled on the road along with hundreds of protestors to burn Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy and his predecessor V S Achuthanandhan in effigies after learning that some Keralites had attacked Ayyappa devotees on Sunday midnight at Vandiperiyar-Kumily National Highway. There were also reports that vehicles bearing TN registration numbers were stoned.“When the effigies were about to be set on fire, Selvapandi picked up a kerosene can and doused it on his body and set fire to his clothes. Police personnel, who were controlling the crowd, managed to douse the fire and took him to the hospital,” an eyewitness said.A senior police officer said that the possibility of Selvapandi’s clothes catching fire accidentally while burning the effigies could not be ruled out.
Comments
0 comment