Ground Zero
It was with renewed hope that Palakkad district celebrated Vishu on April 15, shaking off the worries that had plagued its people for the last two years following the COVID-19 pandemic, dampening spirits and taking the joy out of the Malayalam New Year’s day festival. As restrictions gave way to festivities, music and the aroma of food filled the air. Then came the news of a murder and everything came to a standstill as it were, stopping people in their tracks. This was followed by another murder, a gruesome tit for tat.
A Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) worker, A. Subair, 44, was hacked to death allegedly by a gang of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) men while he was heading home after attending ‘jummah’ prayers at Elappully village. He was murdered in front of his father Aboobacker.