Prohibitory orders promulgated in Tirunelveli district

Collector C. Samayamoorthy on Monday promulgated prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code in the district between August 19 and September 2 in a bid to avert unsavoury incidents and subsequent law and order issues anticipated during the death anniversaries of freedom fighters Ondiveeran and Poolithevan.

In a statement, Mr. Samayamoorthy said the death anniversaries of Ondiveeran and Poolithevan would be observed at Nerkattumseval in the district on August 20 and September 1 respectively. As these events would attract people from other districts in more than 1,000 vehicles, the small hamlet in Sivagiri taluk will not be able to handle such a huge number of vehicles and its occupants.

Moreover, the outsiders coming to Nerkattumseval in the guise of paying homage to the freedom fighters could cause law and order problems, a report submitted by the Superintendent of Police Vijayendra S. Bidari had pointed out.

Considering the gravity of the situation, it had been decided to promulgate the prohibitory orders from 6 p.m. on August 19 to 6 p.m. of September 2. Hence, no vehicle from other districts carrying followers of these two freedom fighters could enter Tirunelveli district during this period.

However, passenger buses, lorries carrying essential commodities, local vehicles, buses, vans and autorickshaws transporting school and college students, omni buses and tourist vehicles could pass through the district, Mr. Samayamoorthy said.

When the death anniversaries were observed last year, sloganeering glorifying the respective leaders and criticising other communities led to tension in the district and a few vans carrying the participants of these celebrations suffered damage in stone pelting. To avert such incidents this year, the district administration has promulgated prohibitory orders.

Meanwhile, a group of Aathi Thamizhar Peravai functionaries submitted a petition to the Collector on Monday evening with an appeal to withdraw the prohibitory orders so as to enable the supporters of Ondiveeran visit Nerkattumseval on August 20 and pay their homage to the martyr.