Antony under pressure to convene peace meet

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JUNE 4. The Chief Minister, Mr A K Antony, is under pressure to convene an all-party peace meet to tackle the Malabar clashes, centred around Kasaragod and Nadapuram.

Senior Congress leaders have expressed the opinion that the Chief Minister could no more afford to delay taking effective steps in tackling the clashes, especially at Nadapuram, which is slowly gathering a communal colour. The situation has gone from bad to worse, and the claims of the police that it was under control have been exposed by the recurring violence.

The Chief Minister, they feel, should seize the initiative to bring the Congress to the forefront and take over the leadership of bringing peace in the area and instill confidence among all sections of the people. Mr Antony, on his part, has said that the police had been given a free hand to put down unrest in the affected areas, and take action against arsonists irrespective of their political affiliations.

During the first phase of Nadapuram clashes a few months ago, the UDF, which was in the Opposition, lost no time in sending a fact-finding team to the affected areas. Mr Antony himself had visited Nadapuram for a first hand information of the ground realities. The UDF had tried to put the CPI(M) on the mat for the clashes, accusing it of misusing the police force.

With the UDF in power, and the IUML one of the ruling partners, the situation has drastically changed. The CPI(M) has already accused the IUML of creating tension in the area. There are quite a few in the UDF who feel that the Minister for Local Self- Governments, Mr Cherkalam Abdulla should not have ventured into sensitive areas on the occasion of his victory procession.

Whenever sensitive issues cropped up in the past, the Congress has shown the inclination of surrendering to the IUML's dictates. With a far more comfortable majority, senior Congress leaders are not sure that Mr Antony would be assertive enough to prevent the IUML from interfering in police administration. One of the most urgent steps to be taken in Nadapuram and Kasaragod is to restore the credibility of the police.

While in the Opposition, the UDF had always accused the CPI(M) of having misused the police force to further its narrow political ends. The UDF could also be open to such a charge, for allowing one of its partners to misuse the police force, they point out. It is in this context that they are putting pressure on the Chief Minister to convene the all-party meeting.

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Section  : Southern States
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