People's Democracy

Kalathil Ramakrishnan

Kozhikode, April 12

THE youngsters were wearing masks, most of them. The sun reflected off their curved swords and pickaxes. The bombs were visible too, and their fury was palpable.

By all indications a killer squad. It was around noon in Nadapuram and there wasn’t a single soul in the whole area, now under a shroud of tension.

The residents had fled to safer places and the armed bunch was camping in a deserted house, waiting for prey. They came to me in a rush, with the clang of their weapons. Suspicion was writ large on their faces.

"Are you a Marxist?", asked one of them.

"No, I am a journalist", I responded. They proceeded to verify that.

"Don’t tell anyone about our whereabouts", warned their leaders, glaring down at the intruder.

"Write that the CPM’s game is up. We will see that it is.", commanded one of the gang members.

"But where can I see the houses destroyed yesterday?", I hazarded.

" Go and find them yourself, if you can", they dared, waving to the deserted roads and houses. "At your risk", they added.

The interesting part of the incident was that there is a police picket barely one kilometer away.

But no policeman was keen to go and nab them.

--- New Indian Express, April 13