Wednesday, April 5, 2017

A script gone awry!

The Kerala Police drew widespread criticism for manhandling the mother and close relatives of Jishnu Pranoy - the engineering student who allegedly committed suicide three months ago - when they attempted a sit-in outside the police headquarters, today. They're protesting the delay in arresting those responsible for Jishnu's death which, they allege, is a murder, committed with the connivance of the top management of the Nehru College where he was studying!

The television grabs were disturbing and one wondered as to why the police were so tactless and brusque. The way they dragged the grieving mother on the road would have moistened the eyes of even the most emotionless man! To many Keralites, the police must have become the villain with this one tactless act.

But how and why did it happen? Let's see the circumstances:-

     (a) A bypoll for the parliament is slated on 11 Apr and the electioneering is on in full swing at
          Malappuram. No political party would have liked to get into a defensive position in the run up
          to the polls.
     (b) The CPM's state secretary had said that the election results shall vindicate the performance of
           the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
     (c) A harmless set of members of a grieving family formed the protesters.
     (d) A decision, acceptable to all, could have easily been brought about through discussions.

So, why did it have to get ugly? Was the police rattled by the fact that a group of protesters had fetched up at their gates, literally, which is supposed to be a 'sacred, no protest zone'? Did they feel threatened by the anger unleashed by the aggrieved?

The justification by the chief minister, in the aftermath, added fuel to the fire. Being the home minister, he'd to take that stand, perhaps, to prop up the morale of the police force. He'd blamed the outside forces like 'the BJP, the SUCI and Thokku swami' having joined the family and forced the issue! Is it true or is it a desperate shot in the dark to shake off the criticism? 



Tailpiece.

1. Jishnu's mother has been admitted into the Medical College Hospital for medical management. Sympathy is piling up for her from every nook and corner of the state much to the discomfort of the state government.
2. The opposition, UDF and the BJP have called for a statewide 'hartal' tomorrow to protest against the police action.
3. A word of advice to the government, "You don't have to win every argument. Accepting your own mistake will be appreciated, which actually shows your inherent strength".
4. Lastly, it's ironic that such an incident had taken place on the 60th anniversary of the first communist government - under EMS Namboodiripad - having come to power in the state!

           

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