KOTAYAM: Four activists of Indian Youth Congress (I) including state secretary Jaygi Palackalodi and two policemen were injured when the protest march taken out against the controversial text books on Tuesday turned violent.
The YC (I) activists, led by Congress (I) state general secretary Joseph Vazhackan and former DCC(I) president Anto Antony, started the march from the Gandhi Square in the heart of the town. By the time they reached the main gates of the Collectorate, police had cordoned off the area. The agitated protestors tried to crash on to the barricades forcing the police to push them back and use cane to disperse them.
In the melee, a few of them jumped the barricades and got into the Collectorate premises. They were chased away by the police. The conflict, which continued for over an hour put the entire traffic system in the town out of gear.
Meanwhile, the dispersed activists regrouped and took out another march to the office of the deputy director of education at Vayaskara Hills. They disrupted the distribution of text books for nearly half-an-hour till the police arrested and removed them.
The dharna at the collectorate gate was inaugurated by Mr JosephVazhackan. He said the content of the texts was a covert attempt to spread communist philosophy. While the content would look innocent for a lay reader, a close look would bring out the hidden agenda. He said that there was a clear attempt to trivialise historical incidents in which the communist parties did not figure and magnify small incidents which were important to the party. “To bring out the whole agenda, one has to read the texts along with the handbooks given to teachers,” he alleged.
Youth Congress activists who were injured in the violence are RegiMecherry, Aneesh Ramakrishnan and Joby George , all district office-bearers.