Sterlite protests: Tamil Nadu town still tense, 1 more victim succumbs

Normal life remained completely paralysed for the third successive day in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district on Thursday with shops remaining shut and buses keeping off roads.

Meanwhile, the number of people killed in police firing touched 13. Selvasekar, one of the protestors who sustained bullet injuries on Tuesday’s police firing, succumbed to his injuries in a government hospital. 

Sandeep Nanduri, who assumed office as the new Collector of Thoothukudi, said his first priority was to restore normalcy. He also said a total of 13 people were killed in police firing so far and 102 people were injured in the protests, of which 19 are seriously wounded. 

“Peace talks have been held with various organisations, traders, hoteliers, bus operators, people from various walks of life and individuals to restore normalcy,” Nanduri said.

People remained indoors even as protests spread across the state with demonstrations in Erode, Ramanathapuram and Thiruvarur districts. Public transport was completely off the roads and only police vehicles, a few private cars and auto rickshaws plied at some places. People struggled to get essential commodities such as milk, in Thoothukudi. 

To ensure the adequate supply of essential commodities, at controlled prices, the district administration announced opening of Amma Canteen near government hospitals and sale of vegetables, milk and other daily commodities through co-operative stores. 

Internet services were suspended on Wednesday night, following a state government advisory to service providers to prevent provocative messages and rumours being spread on social media.

Except for few stray incidents of violence and stone-pelting, the district remained largely calm. At Anna Nagar, the place which witnessed police firing on Wednesday, some miscreants torched three motorcycles and pelted stones at police personnel, leading to a mild lathi charge. 

District authorities strengthened police deployment in vulnerable areas to contain the violence and to avoid any further loss of life or damage to property. Police said more than 130 people were arrested so far in connection with the violence.

Thoothukudi police was also planning on pressing a drone into service to monitor the movement of anti-social elements. Senior police officials tested it near the V O Chidambaram College on the Palayamkottai road at noon on Thursday to keep a tab on those who had pelted stones and hurled petrol bombs.