TN: another self-immolation over Lanka

The ruling DMK was on Wednesday bogged down by triple challenges that of a self-immolation,the seventh over the Lankan Tamil issue; resignation of a member from the party and the Assembly....

The ruling DMK was on Wednesday bogged down by triple challenges that of a self-immolation,the seventh over the Lankan Tamil issue; resignation of a member from the party and the Assembly; and the continuing boycott of court proceedings by lawyers.

R S Raja Kannappan,its MLA from Ilayankudi in Sivagangai district,submitted his resignation in the morning,charging the state Government of neglecting his community,the Yadavs. Sources said Kannappan,who had been staying off from party functions in the recent past,will soon join the AIADMK.

Kannappan was a former Public Works Minister in the first Jayalalithaa ministry during 1991-96 before quitting the AIADMK in 2002 citing similar reasons. He formed Tamil Makkal Desam,a grouping of his supporters,and subsequently joined the DMK three years later.

There is no truth in his allegation of neglecting his community,as there is already a minister K R Periyakaruppan from the community who hails from the same district. He was unhappy as he did not get a ministerial berth, said a DMK leader. The DMK camp underplayed the development,pointing out that Kannappan was never really a part of the DMK like its true members are.

At Sivakasi,meanwhile,a DMK cadre set himself on fire in support of the demand for an immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka where the armed forces and rebel LTTE are engaged in a battle.

B Gokul Rathinam 55,who had returned from Sri Lanka after working there for several years,became the seventh person to immolate himself over the issue since the first one by K Muthukumar of Chennai on January 29.

Rathinam,while shouting slogans in support of the Lankan Tamils and carrying a party flag,set himself ablaze close to Virudhunagar collectorate. Though the police rushed Rathinam to hospital,he was declared brought dead. Officials said the suicide note found on Rathinam claimed that he belonged to the DMK.

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At the Madras High Court,lawyers continued their boycott of all court proceedings over their demand for removal of top cops responsible for the lathicharge on advocates and destruction of property on the High Court premises last Thursday.

The state Government,in the Assembly,announced an interim relief of Rs 5,000 for lawyers and policemen injured in the clashes and also promised to compensate for the vehicle damaged.

The announcement,however,did not enthuse the lawyers.

This compensation,interim or otherwise,is not among our primary demand. We are insisting on punishment for those police officers who were responsible for the incident, said Paul Kanagaraj,president,Madras High Court Advocates Association.