Ramanathapuram
The district administration has promulgated a prohibitory order in the district for two months from Sunday as a precautionary measure for the peaceful conduct of the death anniversary of Dalit leader Immanuel Sekaran on September 11 and ‘Thever Jayanthi’ on October 31.
Acting on the recommendations of Superintendent of Police Omprakash Meena, Collector K Veera Raghava Rao issued the order on Saturday, invoking section 144 (1) of the Cr PC, also banning entry of all types of hired vehicles transporting volunteers to take part in the two events.
For the death anniversary of Immanuel Sekaran on September 11, all types of hired vehicles, including tourist vehicles, stage carriages with temporary or special permits, goods carriers, tractors, two wheelers and auto rickshaws would be banned from carrying volunteers from September 9 to 15, the Collector said.
Similarly, for guru puja and Thevar Jayanthi on October 30, all types of hired vehicles would be banned from carrying volunteers to take part in the event from October 25 to 31, he said. “Carrying jothis (torches) and processions are also prohibited for the two events except within one km in the two sites after prior permission,” he said.
The Collector said public meetings and assembly of five or more persons or processions would remain banned for two months except with prior permission. The prohibitory order was imposed to maintain law and order and to avoid disturbance to public tranquillity, he said.
Seeking the ban on hired vehicles this year too, the SP, in his report said due to non-compliance of the instructions issued by the district administration in 2012, hired vehicles passed through banned routes and three youngsters were beaten to death by people of other community. In another incident in the same year, seven people, travelling in a hired vehicle, were killed in a bomb attack in Madurai, the SP said.
During 2014 also, two separate incidents of stone pelting took place in Paramakudi between two communities, he said and sought ban on hired vehicles. The district administration had asked the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation to operate special buses to bring volunteers from villages and the district borders for the two events.
