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CM's warning on communal killings - The Hindu

Posted By Ashok V Chowgule (ashokvc@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in)
1 February 1997

Title : CM's warning on communal killings
Author :
Publication : The Hindu
Date : February 1, 1997

The Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, today said that he would
put down communal killings by adopting even extreme measures to
prevent the State from plunging into a bloodbath. He appealed for
the co-operation of one and all in this task and also in
eliminating caste and communal prejudices.

He was responding to a special attention notice by the Opposition
on the murder of Palani Baba, president of All India jihad
Committee, and the subsequent killing of a RSS activist in Tambaram
and a person in Keezhakarai.

Mr. Karunanidhi referred to the cordial relations between Muslims
and Hindus in the State, but regretted that the kinship was sought
to be impaired in recent times. The extremist elements in both the
communities were responsible for the 50-60 murders that had taken
place in the last 10 years. Even small incidents were magnified to
create a conflagration.

Though Palani Baba's speeches were fiery and provocative, his
private life was entirely different. He had endeared himself to
all sections of people. Likewise, the RSS activist at Tambaram,
Ramachandran, was loved by all sections of people.

The rigid attitude taken by extremists led to unwanted incidents.
A Muslim youth in Keezhakarai wanted to take out a procession
through the areas predominantly inhabitated by Hindus against the
advice of police resulted in arson and torching of Kamaludeen to
death. The Vinayaka processionists in Chennai too insisted on
going through Triplicane, but fortunately no untoward incident took
place.

He recalled how the DK leader, E. V Ramasamy, was careful not to
allow any violent incidents while dealing with sensitive issues and
regretted that now even small things were being blown out of
proportion leading to bloody riots.

The Chief Minister endorsed the suggestion made by the Opposition
members that politicians should keep off conferences and functions
with clear casteist and communal overtones. However, he said, the
age-old practice of the minorities was to invite one or the other
leader from the majority community to safeguard their own interests
and rights.

Earlier, members voiced concern at the attempts being made to
disturb the peace of Tamil Nadu and urged the Government to take a
stern view of such communal flare ups and put them down with an
iron hand.

Mr. B. Ranganathan (TMC) suspected that some forces were out to
create disturbances by promoting communal tension. Organisations
run in the name of religion should be banned, he said.

Mr. Siva Punniam (CPI) said 29 Hindus and 33 Muslims had been
killed in the last three years. The Government should keep a close
watch over extremists in both the Hindu and Muslim communities.

Mr. M. Abdul Latheef (INL) said the brutal killings in the State
had come about after the executive of a national party declared
that it would propagate Hindutva with all aggressiveness.
Politicians should refrain from instigating their followers.

He suspected that Palani Baba was killed by mercenaries from
Kerala. He appealed, particularly to Muslims, not to take out
processions as that would not solve the issue. All sections of
people should keep peace, leaving the task of maintaining law and
order to the Government.

Mr. C. Velayutham (BJP) asked the Government to probe the reasons
why these incidents took place. He suspected the hand of a foreign
country in such killings, as it wanted to create confusion in all
the States. He defended Hindutva and said that even the Supreme
Court had clarified that Hindu did not mean a religion but a way of
life.

Messrs Tamaraikani (AIADMK), Dheeran (PMK), R. Santhanam (AIFB), D.
Mony (CPI-M), B. Venkatasamy (JD) and Krishnasamy (DS) called for
stringent measures to curb communalism.



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