*The Light of Andamans :: Issue 48*
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*Hutbay Lathicharge: Unanswered Questions*



By Staff Reporter



Port Blair: The brutal lathicharge and vindictive attack on the unsuspecting
tsunami victims of Little Andaman on the night of November 16, is only the
third such case in the post independence history of Andaman & Nicobar
Islands. However, it is the first case of arson associated with a public
agitation.

The first case of police action against demonstrators was way back in 1962
when the APWD mazdoors had turned violent and police had to resort to
coercive action. It had resulted in the irate mob chasing the then
Development Commissioner BK Halve, who had taken shelter in the Police Fire
Brigade quarters. His jeep was toppled.

The second lathicharge was resorted to, to quell the outrage at the death of
Periaswamy in Police custody in 1998.

What led to lathicharge and arson at Hut Bay is not yet clear.

The demonstrators had left the Tahsil office for Police Station to
accomplish their ' Jail Bharo Andolan'. There was no hint of anger, outrage
or physical demonstration of intent to indulge in arson. The Tahsil office
was totally vacated leaving save a few IRBn jawans and police constables.
Tahsildar's jeep, a parting gift from the Indian Army retreating after
relief operation, was standing in front of the office. The leaders of the
agitation refuse to believe that any of the demonstrators were the cause of
it. It is a serious allegation and hence they would prefer to be anonymous.
But they have a strong feeling that it was the handiwork of the police and
IRBn jawans to discredit the protestors. They have demanded a thorough
inquiry to nail the culprit.

But was the situation serious enough to call for such brutal lathicharge?
"Police has to exercise extreme restrain before resorting to lathicharge or
lobbing teargas shells," said a retired police officer. "Policemen suffer
serious injuries yet they keep their calm and avoid any precipitate action
against a mob of 1,000 odd demonstrators. It is highly deplorable," he
continued. It could take an even uglier turn. According to eye witnesses
policemen pushed the women demonstrators back. Some of them fell down. A
bottle was hurled at the police and lathicharge was ordered.

Who was the miscreant who lobbed the bottle? Was he from amongst the
demonstrators or someone hired for the job? Another unsolved mystory is how
the power went off just at the right time, allowing the IRBn to chase the
demonstrators over barbed wire fencing? KS Singh, District commissioner had
been to Hut Bay to conduct an inquiry. People hope that he would probe these
vexing questions and come out with detailed satisfactory answers.


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