Mullaperiyar dam issue – Violence reported in Tamil Nadu

It is reported that some violence issues are occurred in Tamil Nadu on the Mullaperiyar dam issue. Violence issues are reported in Chennai and Coimbatore. Some shops owned by Keralites were attacked there because of the issue of Mullaperiyar dam controversy. Stones were thrown over tea shops and bakery stores owned by Malayalees. Three people were injured on the attacks. One of the injured is a Tamilian named Muthu, 25 years old. He is a worker of one of the shops attacked.

Some protesters setting fire on a Kerala- bound bus in Tamil Nadu. Another incident was happened at Chennai in Joy Alukkas jewelery show room. A group of people held dharna in front of the Joy Alukkas jewelery showroom and later police removed the protesters from there. Similar kind of incidents were happened in Josco and Pavizham jewelers. A forty member group of two different organizations were arrested by police when they were attempted to down shutters of Kerala based jewelers and other shops in Tamil Nadu. 'Tamil Deshiya Pothuvudamai Katchi' and 'Naam Tamizhar Katchi' are the two organizations who held the protests on the name of Mullaperiyar dam issue.

Two days before another protest violence issue was reported in Kerala that Ayyapa devotees from Tamil Nadu were attacked by some anti – social protesters that they pelted stones over them. The incident was at Idukki where the water bomb, Mullaperiyar dam is located. Security concerns are becoming strict in Tamil Nadu and Kerala to avoid these kinds of attacks.

These kinds of news indicates that some violence and protests issues are held in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu states. Strong security and campaign should be conduct to stop violence; at least not to spread these kind of violence in the mind of Keralites and Tamilians. A healthy relationship of two states is moreover necessary to solve the Mullaperiyar dam issue.