Lift prohibitory orders in Yanam

PUDUCHERRY: Claiming that the police in Yanam were ‘terrorising’ the people, the CPI(ML) on Sunday demanded that the prohibitory orders imposed in the area under Section 144 be immediately revoked.Following the violence the region witnessed in the wake of the workers’ agitation at the Regency Ceramics factory, Section 144 was imposed in the area.According to CPI(ML) state secretary S Balasubramanian, “the police are terrorising the people under the cover of the Section 144, which have been in force for over a month after the violent incidents there.”The police, he said, filed FIRs against 1,000 unnamed persons following the unrest. Balasubramanian said the CPI(ML) has prepared a ‘fact-finding report’ after visiting Yanam and meeting the family of trade union leader Murali Mohan, who was allegedly killed in police custody, and the victims of police firing, at the hospital.The report was submitted to an official from the Chief Minister’s office, he said, adding that the party has sought an appointment with N Rangasamy to discuss the ‘ground realities’ in Yanam.The party would also submit the report to Lieutenant Governor Iqbal Singh and copies would be sent to the Home Ministry, National Human Rights Commission and National Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Commission, he added. Balasubramaniam appealed to the CM to break his silence in this regard and announce solatium to the worker who was allegedly killed in police custody. The Labour Department was to blame for not taking steps to settle the dispute in Regency Ceramics Ltd, he added.Pointing to the lack of ‘political space’ for the opposition parties in Yanam as the region has so far elected either an independent or a member of the ruling party, Balasubramanian said, “the local MLA could have tried to convince the workers agitated over demands like higher wages and permanent jobs.”