Police lathicharge as locals prevent DHRM march

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tension prevailed at Thumboodu, near Kallambalam in the district, after a group of local people tried to block a demonstration and march taken out by the Dalit Human Rights Movement (DHRM) activists on Monday.     The police had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse the agitated local people, leaving several of them injured. The policemen resorted to lathi-charge after the local people pelted stones at the police. According to the police, the DHRM was to take out a march from Thumboodu to Pallickal police station in protest against the arrest of two DHRM activists on Sunday. By 9 a.m., Thumboodu junction was flooded with the local people who stationed blocking the DHRM activists who were readying for the march. As tension grew, the police team led by Attingal DySP K E Baiju reached the spot and tried to negotiate with the local people for the peaceful conduct of the march. When they refused to backout, the police had to resort to lathi-charge. In retaliation, the local people pelted stones at them. In the meantime, the police asked the DHRM activists to begin the march.  As the march proceeded, some of the local people returned and indulged in stone-pelting. The DHRM boards on the roadside were burnt and the road was blocked.Traffic to Kilimanoor, Pallickal and Kallambalam came to a halt for nearly five hours. The police blocked the march using barricades when it reached near Pallickal police station. Tension also prevailed in front of the station when the local people engaged in verbal duel with the DHRM activists. However, the police intervened and defused the tension.The police said that tension had been brewing at Thumbodu since Uthradam. On Uthradam night, two DHRM activists had reportedly broken into a house  and assaulted a woman and her daughter at Mayiladumpoyka colony near Madavoor. They were attacked after they questioned the DHRM activists who were boozing in front of their house. The next day, the local people assaulted two other DHRM activists following which a police picket was set up in the area. On Sunday, the police arrested two DHRM men who were suspiciously skirting the area. It was in protest against this arrest that the DHRM took out a march on Monday. The traffic was restored by 3 p.m. in the evening.