People's Democracy

TAMILNADU

CPI (M) Leader Murdered By

DMK Supported Goons

S P Rajendran

ONCE again, the cruel face of the DMK supported anti-social elements came to light when they murdered barbarically a CPI(M) leader in Thiruvarur district, the home place of the chief minister M Karunanidhi.

Comrade J Navalan, (54), Thiruvarur district secretariat member of the CPI(M) and district secretary of AIAWU was brutally murdered by a gang of anti-social elements on January 19th evening near Peralam township, when he was returning from Thirumeignanam CPI(M) Martyrs memorial place by a two wheeler with Raja, a councilor of the Party, who was injured in the attack.

As a stronghold of the CPI(M) in this district, the Party took up various social issues including illicit liquor problem. There is an illegal trade of illicit liquor taking place for the past 25 years in the area of Thirumeichur near Peralam in Nannilam taluk of the district. This illegal business is led by Panneerselvem, a murderer, a notorious rowdy and the ruling DMK's secretary of Peralam township, who was booked under various cases of anti-social activities including the murdering of the CPI(M) leader, Palni, in Oyyavandhan village in Sivaganga district in 2000.

The same Thirumeichur village is the native place of Comrade J Navalan, a well known CPI(M) leader and a long time full time worker, who belongs to a deep rooted Party family.

Navalan led continuous protests against the illicit liquor gangs and their anti-social activities. As a result, he was brutally murdered by a gang sent by Panneerselvam.

After the news spread, high tension prevailed in the whole district. The CPI(M) cadres and village people in huge numbers spontaneously gathered on the roads and picketed all over the district.

A Lazar, state secretariat member of the Party and state president of AIAWU and I V Nagarajan, CPI(M) district secretary rushed to the spot and recovered the body of Comrade Navalan.

The state secretariat of the Party vehemently condemned the brutal murder and demanded the arrest of the murderers. It accused the police for inaction even when they knew the plans of the gang.

On the next day and on January 22, the CPI(M) held statewide protests condemning the murder. In Thiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts, thousands of people were arrested when they blocked the roads.

In the last journey of Comrade Navalan, G Ramakrishnan, state secretary, A Lazar, K Balakrishnan, N Srinivasan, state secretariat members, district leaders, CPI(M) MLA V Marimuthu, CPI MLAs Ulaganathan, Padmavathi and thousands of people participated.

Comrade Navalan is survived by his wife Vasantha, sons Lenin and Stalin, daughters Semmalar (red flower) and Senkodi (red flag).