MADURAI
Demanding the Union government to immediately introduce laws to protect social activists from being killed by anti-socials, Evidence, an NGO here, has urged the State government to give jobs to the legal heirs of a man and his son, who were murdered by an armed gang in Mudalaipatti in Karur district on July 29 as they opposed encroachment of waterbodies.
A fact-finding team, which visited the village a few days ago, told reporters here on Friday that the heinous crime might have been prevented had the authorities remained pro-active. Veeramalai, 70, and his son, Nallathambi, 43, had objected to encroachment of the waterbodies by some villagers. When channels were encroached, water for irrigation would not flow and hence they urged the authorities to evict the unauthorised occupants. Despite repeated pleas, there was no tangible action. An armed gang killed the whistle blowers in broad day light in the presence of family members.
While the High Court had taken suo motu cognizance of the incident and directed the SP to file an action taken report, the fact- finding team urged the government to bring in laws which would protect activists.
Giving details, Evidence’s Executive Director A. Kathir said that since August 2016 till July 2019, a total of 38 activists across Tamil Nadu had been killed by gangsters for raising their voice against the presence of liquor shops, encroachment of waterbodies or expressing concern over honour killing and other issues concerning public.
The number of such incidents might be more, Mr. Kathir said and added that 20 MPs had signed a memorandum addressed to the Union government for introduction of a Bill to protect activists.
It is high time the government sensitised the official machinery in such a way that the killings stopped, the NGO said and demanded thsat the accused in the double murde should not be enlarged on bail.
