It was around 4:30 PM today (23rd January), when I crossed Vadapalani signal. I was about to turn left at Thirunagar signal, noticing the further road was closed towards Koyambedu, I got curious. So, I parked my bike and started walking towards MMDA to see why there is a block.
At Thirunagar signal, I spotted some SUV’s, the guys there were wearing white shirts and pants, typical politician look, with thick moustache and big smartphone popping out of their shirt pocket. They were asking their men to redirect the traffic from Vadapalani towards Periyar Pathai, not allowing them to MMDA. As I walked past them, after Arumbakkam Metro, there were some 150-200 people standing in the MMDA signal. Banners about jallikattu.
On the middle of the road, there were 5-10 men and women, who were shouting slogans for jallikattu and against police lathi charge. The women were sari clad, around 35-40 years and men were around 40 years, heavily bearded, veshti and lungi clad. Are they students or youth? May be muthior kalvi. There were other protestors, a big group on the other side of the road, opposite to Vallavan hotel. In this set of people, there were young people too, but on the whole I don’t see any similarities in them when compared to the original students/youth at Marina or other place.
I can easily relate them to the kind of people, who are paid by political parties in their meeting, like in Tamil Kaasuku Allu Setha Kuttam. I was seeing all these at a distance (my building strong’u basement weaku). A vehicle was surrounded by the big group, an onlooker next to me said that must a police vehicle, in few minutes, there was a smoke. He said they had torched it. As the flames started, the big group tried to spread out, fearing it might burst (It eventually did burst later).
The onlooker standing next to me said we have to move as it is not safe. The big crowd spread, they were walking to the side of the road where I was standing, and, someone noticed the nearby apartment, which was behind me. The apartment tenants were filming the ablaze in their mobile. The crowd demanded them not to take pictures and hurled stones on the building. Stones whizzed past my head. An IT company bus front glass was broken. Another bus (college) driver reversed his bus in hurry. Thalaiku vandadu thalapagai oda pogatum’nu I started to move.
Some northeast guys took pictures too; our esteemed elderly youths grabbed their phones and deleted the pics.
End Note- All this was organized, by people who are habituated with this kind of acts. Blocking traffic at the exact place, not allowing others to take pic and zero conviction to the cause, but only to damage public and private property. As Gounder used to say, mosa pudikura naaya munchiya patha theriyadu.
This is my experience, I cannot vouch for other unruly incidents in the city. Whether all places had these kind of Vishamigal, I leave it to your judgement.
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