SC verdict spreads apprehension in Kannur dist.

KOCHI : The Supreme Court ruling acquitting four of the accused and commuting the death sentence on the first accused to a life term in the case relating to the brutal assassination of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha State vice-president KT Jayakrishnan has the potential to trigger off a series of issues in the trouble-prone district of Thalassery in Kannur. State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan hails from this place.

The BJP and its outfits have already come out with the allegations that the Government pleader, who appeared on behalf of the prosecution, had colluded with the accused, all CPI(M) activists at the instruction of Marxist leaders. This itself shows that there could be problems in the district, and the people of the district are already started apprehensive on the outcome of the verdict.

Kannur district has witnessed several bloody conflicts between the RSS and the CPI(M) for years. Many cadres of both the outfits lost lives and many have been maimed for life. The sociological fact is that killings and attacks have peaked whenever the CPI(M) or the LDF was in power. After the killing of Jayakrishnan, several persons from both sides lost lives and even the police were denied entry into some pockets controlled by the RSS and CPI(M), which were known as party villages.

The local people, who have witnessed the bitter and bloody hartals and police movements in their sleepy hamlets, fear a repeat of history and there are several who are praying that the indiscriminate killings and attacks leave their places forever. There were strange social realties as girls from villages like Pannor were not being bale to find suitors from outside just because of fear in the neighbouring areas. There were also more than one incident of people getting killed in cases of mistaken identity and several youth have shied away from getting related to these areas because of these reasons.

The brutal killing of Jayakrishnan had also caused violent mental disorders for several small students who had witnessed their teacher getting lynched in front of them. Twenty-nine students left their studies from Mokeri East Upper Primary School amid hallucinations nauseating them. Then education minister PJ Joseph had told the State Assembly that the students were counselled to get rid of these problems and that these students had left the schools.

Congress leader K Sudhakaran has already said that issues could be developed in Kannur owing to the court verdict. The statement of the Congress leader assumes significance as he was also one of the frontline leaders of the party, who was constantly under threat from CPI(M) cadres and several of his close associates had been brutally assassinated allegedly by the Marxists.

Sociologists are of the view that there can be an escalation in violence as the CPI(M) is planning a massive rally from the premises of the Kannur central jail itself with the prisoners when they are released and any small clash during the procession could turn into major political violence. They are of the opinion that if the CPI(M) leadership does not put a strong rein on the cadres then there are possibilities of violent clashes which can turn into a situation which the Government may not be able to control.

RSS leadership has said that they were disappointed at the Supreme Court ruling and a senior Sangh leader said, “The Sangh is not an organisation preaching violence, but we cannot let down our cadres. We are watching the situation closely. It is for the CPI(M) leadership to act in a responsible manner as they are governing the State.”

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