Madhu's death could, in all probability, be a deliberate act of mob lynching rather than a wanton act of 'capturing' which went wrong somewhere. This is the third part of an exclusive series. Read the first two parts:
Attappadi: February 22, 2018, that was the day Madhu, the son of Malli and Mallan, was branded a thief and brutally lynched by a mob.
As Onmanorama tried to tread Madhu's path, in a bid to get to the truth behind the death, we faced many impediments — mostly because Attappadi was in no mood to confess.
The corroboration of the many tales and the sharp dual narrative of tribal versus non-tribal but point to the fact that Madhu could have been hunted down. It could, in all probability, be a deliberate act of mob lynching rather than a wanton act of 'capturing' which went wrong somewhere.
“Her children had not seen Madhu at all. So, when we heard that he was in the custody of some people at Mukkali, she told her little ones that 'today you can see Madhu maman' (uncle). We wanted to take him to hospital,” Sarasu, Madhu's elder sister, told us pointing to her younger sibling Chandrika. “But then we heard that he died,” Sarasu broke down in front of us.
But how? Soman (name changed) tried to recollect the incidents of the day as we met him at Mukkali after the sun had set. “Nowadays, I am even afraid to stay back in the junction after evening,” he told us, hinting at a possible tension prevailing in the area following Madhu's murder.
Soman, an active political worker among non-tribals of Mukkali, feels that he escaped the hullabaloo by a whisker. “I was busy with some work that day, hence I came to know about the incident a bit late. Otherwise, I would have gone to Mukkali as soon as I heard of 'the capture' of Madhu,” he told us.
Soman belongs to the group which is not convinced of the theory of mob lynching. “There must be something beyond that. The police were hiding something,” he said.
A portion of the FIR prepared by the police on Madhu's death. He said a group of local people went into the forest after coming to know that Madhu was in a cave. They 'captured' him and took him to Mukkali. He was handed over to the police. According to the first information report (FIR), the cops took Madhu to the Agali Community Health Centre for medical tests by 3.30pm. On the way, Madhu told the police that the gang captured him by noon from the forests.
“They called me a thief, beat me up and kicked,” the FIR quoted Madhu as saying. Madhu wanted to vomit when the police jeep reached Thavalam. Madhu vomited and the police continued the journey. He was lying down on the vehicle floor all the while. They reached the hospital around 4.15pm and Madhu was declared brought dead, the FIR said.
Madhu's mother and sisters cry on seeing his mortal remains.“There were three hospitals on the way – at Kookkampalayam, Kalkandi and Kakkupadi – but why didn't the cops take him to any of these,” asks Soman.
The autopsy report said Madhu had sustained injuries in an assault two days ahead of the fateful day. “It must have been the handiwork of some tribespeople,” a resident said.
Why did the police not book the person who informed the gang of Madhu's dwelling place. “It could only be a tribesman,” he said. Onmanorama couldn't get an explanation from the police on this.
Tribal vs non-tribal
Madhu's tragic end has split Attappadi into two. Soman and his wife told us that the relationship between the tribal and non-tribal people had taken a beating after the incident. Soman's wife said they were scared to stay back late at a nearby junction after the incident.
Adivasis protest as the ambulance carrying Madhu's body arrives at Mukkali. She said the amity was gone. Two Adivasi men, apparently drunk, went to the house of one of the accused and threatened his wife with rape. “Earlier, we, both the tribal and non-tribal people used to stay in a convivial atmosphere. Tribal women used to share their issues with us when we worked together as part of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. But it has all changed now. They don't talk to us now,” she said.
Asked if any complaint has been filed against tribespeople over such threats, people said it was of no use. “Now, even if we go to the police with a complaint against an Adivasi, they try to send us back without registering a complaint. They don't want to invite more trouble by booking an Adivasi,” a native of Mukkali said. This was not the case till Madhu's death, he added.
A commemorative meeting for Madhu, held at Mukkali a few days ago, was testimony to the divide. While Adivasis and activists from other parts of the state attended it, the non-tribal population at Attappadi largely stayed away.
Malli attends a commemorative meeting for Madhu, held at Mukkali. Photo courtesy: Mruduladevi Sasidharan/SasidharanThey believe that innocent people have been booked and jailed. An action council of non-tribal people had planned meetings to express solidarity with the accused. They desisted from organising it out of fear that it may adversely affect bail prospects. However, people were trying to provide financial aid to the families of the accused who are financially backward.
As the law of the land settles the dispute, hope the spirit of the forest heals the wounds inflicted by human follies.
(Concluded)
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