Panel set up for peace initiative

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE, JULY 15. An all-party peace meeting held at the Collectorate here today in the presence of the Chief Minister, Mr. A. K. Antony, condemned the murder and violence in the Nadapuram region. It appealed to all sections of people to assist in ushering lasting peace in the area.

A resolution adopted at the meeting wanted those responsible for precipitating trouble in the region to be isolated. It sought to establish peace with the cooperation of all concerned irrespective of party affiliations.

Later, briefing presspersons, Mr. Antony said that establishing lasting peace in Nadapuram was the objective of the Government. While admitting that violence in Nadapuram had inflicted a deep wound, peace would be achieved with the cooperation of all. The aim was to prevent repetition of incidents as in the past. He appealed to the people to forget the past and work for harmony.

As a first step, a team has been formed to initiate productive discussions on the issue. The CPI(M) State secretariat member, Mr. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, and the IUML leader and Industries Minister, Mr. P. K. Kunhalikutty, have been vested with the responsibility to initiate the discussions, Mr. Antony said.

The team would hold discussions with leaders of political parties so as to prepare the ground for holding the next full-fledged peace meeting at Nadapuram itself. Flare-ups in the area would be averted by the district administration with the cooperation of political parties.

All efforts would be made to book the culprits responsible for murder, looting and violence against women. The law would take its course and no offender would be left scot- free. Mr. Antony said that the ban order in force in the area would be extended from 5.00 p.m. now, to 7.00 p.m. Police have been directed not to victimise innocent people. Lapses in this regard would be examined, he said.

More police personnel would be deployed in the region. The Government would assist in setting up industrial enterprises in the area as a healing measure and the District Collector would initiate steps in this regard. Steps would be taken to help granite quarry owners in the area to reopen their units.

On the issue of payment of compensation to victims of violence in Nadapuram, Mr. Antony was of the view that while the Government was opposed to the idea of compensation as such, in this particular case the matter would be placed before the Cabinet. In fact, representatives of all political parties at the meeting had requested that compensation be paid to victims. Representatives of all political parties participated in the more-than-three-hour discussion, the first peace meeting being organised by the UDF Government.

The meeting which was scheduled for June 23 had been postponed in the wake of the Kadalundi train mishap.

Besides Mr. Kunhalikutty, the Health Minister, Mr. P. Sankaran, the Public Works Minister, Dr. M. K. Muneer, Mr. K. Muraleedharan and Ms. M.K. Premajam, MPs, the IUML leaders, Mr. Soopy Narikkateri, Mr. Ahmed Punnakal, and Mr. M.P. Soopy, the CPI(M) leaders, Mr. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Mr. A. Kanaran, and Mr. P.V. Kunhikrishnan, the CPI leaders, Mr. Binoy Viswam and Mr. Satyan Mokeri, the Janata Dal(S) leaders, Mr. C.K. Nanu, the BJP leader, Mr. C.P. Kannan and the Kerala Congress(M) leader, Mr. John Poothakazhi and Mr. P.J. Joseph Kynadi, participated in the meeting.

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