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TNRDC attempts to frame Sanaulla but the villagers and the 0olice see through the game.

On June 8,2002 Sanaulla, a resident of Kanathur and an auto-rickshaw operator/driver was rushing his wife to the hospital. She had had an accident in her kitchen and suffered serious burns.

His vehicle was stopped at the Uthandi Toll Plaza of TNRDC where a toll of Rs.24 was demanded of him. All that the poor fellow had was some petrol in his auto and he hoped to race to a free Govt. Hospital for his wife's care. Some friends had promised to follow later after collecting some money.

This was a common enough incident at the Uthandi Toll Plaza, where villagers simply don't have the money for the strange tax demanded of them. An argument ensued. TNRDC marshalled its security guards and bid them to surround Sanaulla's auto. He was getting impatient and the guards under the direct command of the Plaza staff were taunting and crowing.

Sanaulla decided to break out as his wife was moaning. When he attempted to do so, the TNRDC staff hectored the guards to stop him. A burly guard grabbed a bar on the departing auto. He lost his grip and fell. He suffered a few scrapes.

TNRDC decided they had a case for exemplary punishment at the hands of the Police. They urged their injured guard to file a complaint with the Police and soon as he did, poor Sanaulla had to transfer the care of his wife to a relative in order to present himself at the Neelankarai Police Station. The Inspector there could clearly assess the situation as TNRDC had been daily asking the Police to intervene and help them collect the toll. He knew that TNRDC was angling for 'exemplary punishment' to be meted out to Sanaulla. By now a crowd of over 50 villagers had gathered at the Station.

The sensible Inspector decided that he would have a chat with them. He sympathised with their plight in regard to the burden the toll imposed on them, but was helpless in the matter as TNRDC had armed itself with a Government Order. He was obliged to intervene soon as law and order was broken. The villagers complained that TNRDC was being provocative. At about 8 pm after nearly 3 hours of detention, the Inspector let Sanaulla go with the general advise to the villagers that they must seek remedy elsewhere and not get involved in law and order situations.

As the only way the villagers can do this is to pay the toll and as they didn't have the money for it, what they were to do if TNRDC sought to create a law and order situation routinely? The Inspector said he would restrict himself to saying he would arrive soon as law and order was broken and the villagers have to consult other institutions as to how they should seek relief.

The villagers then saw it fit to leave a memorandum at the station so that TNRDC's clear strategy of framing villagers in law and oreder cases was on record.

_____________________

The following [translated from Tamil] is their memeorandum:

From
The Residents of Kanathur Panchayat
Kanathur Reddikuppam
Kanathur - 603112

To
The Inspector
C9 Police Station
Neelankarai
Chennai 600 041

Subject:In condemnation of the way TNRDC staff behave with the public.

Sir,

The toll on ECR has greatly affected us. In particular autorickshaw drivers' families have been reduced to poverty. TNRDC has been promising relief for residents and it is six months such an assurance was made and yet nothing has been brought forward.

Understandably car, van, auto and fish-craft drivers have been agitated. While this is the case, TNRDC staff have resorted to various intimidatory tactics: they abuse, they grab hold of shirts, they snatch vehicle keys, they show a pistol like object and threten etc. They file false complaints with you. These are routine happenings now.

We residents are exploring various civic means to seek relief. In the meantime we request you to warn TNRDC to moderate its ways.

for Kanathur Residents

-signed- S P Asokarajan and 52 others.

_______________________

On June 9, 2002, 5 PM a meeting was held in the premises of Morning Star School, Kanathur to discuss and work out a response to TNRDC staff's provocative ways at Uthandi. The meeting was attended by 36 people. It was a direct response to the treatment meted out to Sanaulla.

Some of the points raised by various participants were as follows:

*Despite provocation by TNRDC those that don't have the money to pay the toll should simply declare that fact and ask TNRDC to take whatever legal action it chose as a consequence. It is not a crime not to have money and if the citizen does not have money to pay TNRDC to reach home, then he should be ready to plead guilty in the court.

*Do not fall into the trap being set up by TNRDC of provoking you into any form of violence, which will cause the police to intervene. Of course rush to the assistance of a fellow resident of ECR who is being harasses by the TNRDC. But arguments and protests should be entirely non violent.

*Some speakers asked why the toll gate was not set at Tiruvanmiyur? They wondered if that was because highly influential people reside there and Injambakkam, Neelankarai etc. Was Uthandi chosen in the belief that from that point onwards the simple folk can be bullied?

*In return for the toll, instead of any advantage of time and money saved, all that the residents got was tension, fear and price rise.

*The toll concerned even non vehicle owners. Why should guests coming to a wedding in our village pay a toll? Why when rushing to a hospital in an auto must a resident pay? We may be bringing relatives in a taxi from the railway station - must we pay? Why should eggs and vegetables and all other things cost 5% more this side of the toll gate? Won't people without vehicles today not buy one in the next 30 years, the period of TNRDC's lease?

*It was highlighted that even at the reduced tariff, each vehicle would pay over Rs.5 lakhs to TNRDC over the next 30 years.

*The meeting ended after expressing solidarity with fellow residents of ECR and with a vow to battle with every available civil means until this cruel levy is repealed.

Click to view a picture taken at the meeting