DMK Vs ADAMK
Cadres of the DMK and its allies staging a fast in the city on Monday demanding the implementation of the Sethusamudram project. (Centre) Members of the Anna Thozhilalar Sangam squatting in front of the Tamil Nadu Transport Corporation Depot on Mettupalayam Road demanding that they be allowed to operate the buses. (Right) Tirupur old bus stand wears a deserted look.Despite the Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) allies converting their plans for a bandh into a protest fast following the intervention by the Supreme Court, normal life was paralysed in Coimbatore on Monday when more than 95 per cent of shops, commercial establishments remained closed besides buses and autos keeping off the road. In a clash reported between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) workers at Mettuppalayam about 40 km from west of Coimbatore over the issue of demanding the closure of shops and breaking of party flag posts, two persons sustained injuries. They were rushed to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.The AIADMK cadre, including sitting MLA and former MLAs were about to clash with the DPA cadre hardly 200 to 300 meters from the fast venue. The Superintendent of Police, Coimbatore Rural District, G. Karthikeyan, rushed with additional reinforcements to ensure normality.
Following the stay ordered by the Supreme Court on Sunday for the proposed bandh by DMK and its allies in the DPA, the DMK announced its plans to stage a fast instead of a bandh demanding speedy implementation of the Sethusamudram project. This led to a belief among the public that the bandh call had been called off, this resulted in the public being put to untold hardship.Scores and scores of office goers, workers and even students were stranded on the road with not a single State Transport Corporation bus on the roads. TNSTC depots owing to strike by most of the trade unions reported operation of only skeleton services. Most of the private bus operators as a matter of abundant precaution had kept off the road. Passengers on their arrival at Coimbatore by trains and long distance buses were seen stranded at many places while private vehicles plied as usual.
Merchants, shop keepers and those running commercial establishments kept their shutters closed fearing violence. Very few grocery shops and almost all medical shops remained open. Roads, market areas and bus stands wore a deserted look.Private establishments remained closed and most of the Government offices had very thin attendance.Inter-State bus service to Kerala was maintained with skeleton services and the City Police provided armed escorts.Commotion prevailed at the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus depots in the morning, when crew belonging to the AIADMK affiliated trade union demanded that they should be allowed to operate buses. The TNSTC authorities who initially resisted in allowing the buses to shed out owing to reasons of safety finally relented when the AIADMK cadre led by their trade union leader, Abdul Jabbar insisted that the buses should be operated. With the crew belonging to other major trade unions owing affiliation to DMK, Communist Party and others abstaining from work only skeleton buses were sent out of the depots. At Coimbatore, the cadre staged a protest fast at Gandhipuram and Kuniamuthur.
At Gandhipuram more than 2,000 protestors were led by the DMK District Secretary and Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy. Meanwhile, protesting against the enforcement of “undeclared bandh” and demanding operation of bus services, the Bharatiya Janata Party and Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagamcadre staged a demonstration near Red Cross Society building. In Coimbatore Rural District, the DPA allies observed fasting at 29 places. Barring tense moments at Mettuppalayam, the day passed off peacefully, reports reaching the district headquarters said.
