15-February-2007
Advertisement given in Malayala Manorama by Catholicos Didymos I of Methran faction of the Malankara Church on 3rd February 2007, asking every parish to send atleast one bus with maximum number of faithful to participate in the so called protest meet at Trivandrum on 13th which ultimately turned out to be violent though a very few people participated in that
The Hindu dt. 15th Feb 2007
Hartal total in Pathanamthitta
Staff Reporter
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Government asked to step down |
PATHANAMTHITTA: The hartal called by the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, protesting against Tuesday's police action in Thiruvnanthapuram, was total in many parts of the district on Wednesday.
The Church members, including priests, staged protest marches in the district, raising slogans against the police and the Government. Hundreds of believers attached to the St. Mary's Orthodox Valiyapally parish in Niranom staged a protest march to the police station at Pulikeezhu, near Thiruvalla, in the forenoon. The march was blocked by the police on the Mavelikkara-Thiruvalla Road about 100 metres away from the police station.
Traffic was affected for about 45 minutes when protestors staged a sit-in on the road. Parish priest Fr. Oommen Paul, Fr. Aby C.Mathew, E.I.Jacob, trustee, Thomas P.Varghese, secretary and Shnu Kuruvila addressed the protest meeting held t Pulikeezhu, later.
The members of the Paliyekkara St. George Orthodox Church parish in Thiruvalla staged a march in Thiruvalla town. Metropolitan of the Niranom diocese Youhanon Mar Chrysostomos inaugurated the protest met held at the KSRTC corner, later.
Mar Chrysostomos said that the Government should step down if it failed to check police excesses.
He also demanded stern action against those police officials who were responsible for Tuesday's police excesses on priests and other Church members in Thiruvananthapuram.
Members of various parishes organised protest marches in Pathanamthitta, Mylapra, Adoor, Pandalam, Thumpamon, Mallappally, Kallooppra, Ranni, Konni, Kozhencherry and Kadapra.
Shops and other business establishments remained closed in many parts of the district. Hartal-supporters blocked traffic on the MC Road for about an hour at Adoor in the forenoon.
Cameraman assaulted
Meanwhile, in a statement issued here in the afternoon, the Kerala Union of Working Journalists district unit here has condemned the alleged assault on the cameraman of the Indiavision, K. Nishanth, by certain hartal-supporters during the protest march in Pathanamthitta town.
The Hindu dt. 15th Feb 2007
Inquiry into lathi-charge starts
Staff Reporter
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Allegation of infiltration by outsiders to be probed |
Inspector General of Police, South Zone, to rely for evidence on various sources
The police verifying photographs, television clippings to identify the main troublemakers
Thiruvananthapuram: Inspector General of Police, South Zone, Arun Kumar Sinha, on Wednesday commenced his inquiry into the allegation that an "unknown set of people who infiltrated the ranks of the laity" had fomented trouble during the protest march taken out by nearly 5,000 members of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church on Tuesday. Scores of them, including at least three priests, were injured when the police lathicharged the protestors who turned violent in front of Government Secretariat.
Mr. Sinha's team on Wednesday took the statement of some of the members of the church. Their main allegation was that a set of people had thrown stones at the police from atop some buildings in front of the Government Secretariat with the intention of disrupting the march by provoking a police lathi-charge. The police would be questioning eyewitnesses, including media persons who reported the event and also traders who operate businesses in the buildings.
The police officials who acted against the protestors have been asked to file their statements. The IG would be relying for evidence on various sources, including police wireless transcripts, video recordings and voice data captured by the digital voice data logger attached to the City Police Control Room.
The police were also verifying still photographs and television news clippings of the event to identify the main troublemakers. The role of a retired police official who took permission for conducting the march would be investigated.
The IG's report would also have a bearing on how the case would be charge sheeted. The Cantonment police had charged a case of unlawful assembly, rioting, attack on police and destruction of public property in connection with Tuesday's violence involving a section of the members of the Orthodox Church.
CALL FOR HARTAL BY METHRAN FACTION LEADERSHIP & ITS REACTIONS - SOME FACTS:
ONE OF THE SHOPPING MALLS (G-MART AT KOTTAYAM) OWNED BY A PROMINENT METHRAN KAKSHI FAMILY
THAT WAS REMAINED OPENED INSPITE OF THE CALL BY THEIR LEADERSHIP
In Kottayam only handful number of shops remained closed which showed the opposition to Methran faction leadership's ardent call for closure of all shops on 14th. Even different Muthoot financial establishments remained opened on the day
Mathrubhumi dt. 15th Feb 2007
