The staff working at the small Amma Unavagam, near the Government Hospital in Thoothukudi, are busy dolling out plates of chapathi, idlis and pongal to a huge crowd standing at the counter. “At least this is open today, for us to get food,” says Sahaya Mary, 42.
“My son is in the ICU, shot in his abdomen. I don’t want to talk anything more. It's been two days since we got food to eat,” says Mary, who refused to reveal her son’s name and other details. “I don’t know if he will come back to life. Why should I tell the media about him and my family? Will this get him back to life or fulfil our demand for closure of Sterlite,” shouts Mary.
Mary has got food to eat. She has been allowed inside the Government Hospital ICU to meet her ailing son. Like her, the families of the other injured too had given access to the patients. Yes, the patients and their attenders are made to feel comfortable, three days after the shootout in Thoothukudi. The pearl city is slowly getting back to normalcy. Shops have opened. Vehicles ply on the roads, though public transport is not available for people to commute.
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The district administration has ensured that the essentials are available round-the-clock to the people of the city. “The situation is returning to normalcy in Thoothukudi. We have ensured that the essentials are available and the city is back to peace. Buses are operated. Amma canteens and several other eateries and many other shops are open. The vegetable markets and ration shops are open for the people to get the essentials,” says Thoothukudi District collector Sandeep Nandhuri.
But the men in khakhi have not moved out, from their respective places in every street corner. There are around 6000 policemen still on the road, guarding and watching people moving around, looking for miscreants. Most places resemble the aftermath of a war zone. Remains of the burnt vehicles, broken bill boards, barricades are seen lying on the desolate roads. The collector's office remains a war zone. Broken glass doors and several hundreds of stones thrown to break the glass doors tell a tale on the May 22 protest and the riots thereafter.
“The city is still in the grip of fear. The police presence makes the people stay in fear. The post firing harassment is going on. This is happening with the 144 that is present. On the one hand, we can get rid of the protesters by way of threatening, on the other, the families of the victims cannot mourn the death thus ensuring that the emotion doesn’t spread,” says Henri Tiphagne, executive director of People’s Watch, who was present on the day of riots and also on Saturday to assess the situation.
Meanwhile, those arrested, are yet to be released from police custody after the Court order today to release them. “65 of them were released on Friday, on our intervention. Last night Magistrate Dr Charuhasini ordered for the release of 47 more. Today the Court has ordered for the release of the remaining people. At least 170 people were arrested and taken into illegal custody by the police,” says senior Advocate E. Athisaya Kumar.
Those arrested were detained and remanded under Section 3 and 4 of the Tamil Nadu Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992, according to Athisaya Kumar. He says all of them have been let out on bail and the team of advocates in Thoothukudi have decided to provide legal aid to all those who were arrested. “We are organising a public hearing on May 28 and 29, to tell the world what actually happened and also about the police actions,” he added.