: A People’s Union for Civil Liberties fact-finding team has said that the police failed to contain violence during Hindu Munnani functionary C. Sasikumar’s funeral procession here on September 23 and that it was the restraint shown by Muslims and their tolerance that helped Coimbatore return to normalcy.
In a media briefing, the 17-member team led by R. Murali, State Secretary, PUCL; and comprising Thiagu, human rights activist; K. Samuel Raj, State General Secretary, Untouchability Eradication Front; H. Peer Muhammad, writer; G. Kurinji, State president, PUCL; D. Sekar Annadurai, District Secretary, PUCL; and others, said that it had interviewed those who were affected by the violence that took place during the funeral procession, leaders of Hindu and Muslim organisations, police, and also district administration officials.
It was working on its final report and also a set of recommendations to be submitted to the State Government. Releasing its interim report, the team said the police had shown a lackadaisical attitude towards violence unleashed by Hinduvta forces. They had failed to control violence and disburse the crowd that had indulged in violence.
Muslims in Coimbatore had shown great restraint though there had been provocation in the form of attacks on their places of workshop right since early September 23 morning.
The team also said that though there were claims that people had gathered on their own for Sasikumar’s funeral, it found it difficult to say that the violence had broken out quite accidentally.
It was of the opinion that the violence was planned and that the objective was to damage Muslim business interests.
It was unacceptable that the police had allowed thousands of people to gather at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for the funeral. The violence had created fear in the minds of Muslims, particularly women and children, who feared that they could be attacked again. It was for this reason that shopkeepers in not only Coimbatore but also in Tirupur and Erode had downed shutters on the day after Sasikumar’s murder.
The team said that its recommendation included compensation for Muslims for damages suffered by commercial establishments and confidence building measures aimed at those who were affected in the violence.
There should be legal action against those who indulged in violence and those who instigated the violence.
Besides, the team also wanted the State Government to intervene in the “re-victimisation” of Muslims shopkeepers, who were being asked to vacate their premises by owners who feared attack on the premises if violence were to break out again.
