People's Democracy

TN CRACKER UNIT BLAST

CPI(M) in Forefront of Rescue,

 Relief Work despite Grievous Loss

WHILE the most unfortunate cracker unit blast at Mudalipatti near Sivakasi on September 5, has claimed more than 55 lives and injured about a hundred persons, it also claimed the life of Comrade Balakrishnan, a branch secretary of the CPI(M), while he was engaged in rescuing the people trapped in various units of the cracker factory. It is to be noted that Comrade Balakrishnan, block secretary M C Pandyan and many other comrades of the CPI(M) rushed to the spot immediately after the first blast in the factory took place.

This immediate intervention of the CPI(M) was able to save more than 125 persons who were trapped inside. It was the second blast, that was reportedly more powerful than the first one, which took the life of Comrade Balakrishnan.

Soon after these blasts were reported, CPI(M) state secretary G Ramakrishnan rushed from Madurai to Mudalipatti town, assessed the damage to life and property as well as took stock of the rescue and relief work going on there. While the CPI(M) has demanded a high level inquiry into the tragedy, it has also pressed the demands that the kin of each of the deceased must be given Rs 10 lakh as compensation, that vigorous treatment and rehabilitation must be provided for all the injured, and that vigorous and effective steps must be taken to prevent any recurrence of such blasts in future.

On September 6, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury, who came to Madurai in connection with the SFI’s national conference, also visited the blast site, along with CPI(M) MLAs Sounder Rajan and Balakrishnan as well as Sujan Chakraborty, former SFI leader and a member of the CPI(M)’s West Bengal state secretariat. The team talked to the affected and other people in the town and reiterated the CPI(M)’s demands about inquiry, compensation, treatment and rehabilitation of the injured people.

While all members of the CPI(M) are grieved over the sad loss of Comrade Balakrishnan who staked his own life in order to save others, party members from the nearby areas continued to be in the forefront of the rescue and relief operations with full vigour. While writing these lines, they were still in the town, taking care of the injured persons, consoling the bereaved families and striving to move the administration for the rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations.

A detailed report of the episode will be published next week.