In a brutal police reaction, several people, including women and children, who were protesting against the K-Rail project at Changanassery were attacked by the police, on Thursday, March 17. The visuals of the attack show women being manhandled by the police and pulled apart from protesting. The locals were protesting against installation of survey stones to demarcate the land for the K-rail project, at Madappally in Kottayam. A call for hartal from 6 am to 6 pm on Friday has also been issued by the agitation committee.
A woman who had arrived at the protest site with her child can be seen being dragged on the ground and there are calls for help being made to take several people to be taken to hospital. The woman is reported to have arrived at the spot with kerosene. Meanwhile, after the protestors were forcefully dragged away from the site, the stone was laid amidst police protection.
The protesters had been striking on the site since 9 am on Thursday and had tried to block the vehicle in which the stone was transported. Despite the police asking the protestors to return, they did not comply and started raising slogans against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. When the sloganeering became severe, the police started using force to separate them.
As many as 23 protestors are reported to have been arrested. A hartal was announced on March 18 in Changanassery by K Rail protestors Samithi against police action. After the protestors were taken to the Thrikkodithanam police station, the agitation committee laid a siege demanding release of those arrested. There were Congress and BJP workers present in the protests.
Similar protests were held at Mamala of Ernakulam, as only K-rail officials and police personnel had arrived at the spot. Stating that the stones cannot be installed without survey officials, the locals raised a protest.
Also, three persons, including the municipal chairwoman AP Naseema and standing committee chairman Abdusalam had sustained injuries, during a police attack in the protests against K-rail in Tirur on Wednesday.
VD Satheesan, the opposition leader, raised the issue in the assembly on Thursday. He said that the chief minister broke his promise to maintain a peaceful atmosphere while laying stone for K-rail. “The Chief Minister broke his promise he gave in the assembly. Women were dragged in the road. We express our strong protest in this,” VD Sathjeesan said this and the opposition held a walk out protest in the assembly.
Replying to this, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that generally all matters regarding K Rail was held peacefully and it was the congress party that led to provocation and violence. “There were no major protests happening. Irked over this opposition tries to create provocation. As part of this, police and other officials including Tahsildar were attacked. Opposition should restrain themselves from these activities. Congress leads these activities,” CM replied in the assembly.