Stalin needs to get a grip on law and order

The spree of killings, politically motivated or otherwise, has exacerbated the feeling that there has been a breakdown of the law and order machinery

The defining images on television screens across Tamil Nadu over the last couple of months have been that of CCTV footage of people being hacked to death on the streets or of gruesome murder scenes. A couple of months back, K P K Jayakumar Dhansingh a Congress functionary from Tirunelveli was murdered. A few weeks later, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) state president K Armstrong was hacked to death in full public view; and, a couple of days later a Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) worker attacked with knives in Cuddalore.

Within two weeks of Armstrong’s killing, Balasubramainan, a functionary of the Nam Tamilar Katchi, a Tamil nationalist political party, was brutally murdered on a public road, in Madurai.

In the midst of all this, Thiruvengadam, one of the accused in the Armstrong murder case who had apparently surrendered to the police was killed in a police encounter which has raised several questions.

Adding to the sense of insecurity among the public and increasing the perception that there has been a breakdown of the law and order machinery, social media platforms are buzzing with videos of apparently drug-crazed youth going on the rampage in public places.

All these raise the question: What is the State doing? The home department is under Chief Minister M K Stalin and there is tremendous pressure on him to act fast and restore peace across the state. The police are busy portraying these series of murders as gang wars or those because of local enmity, thereby denying any political motive behind them. But the people are not convinced, and such reasoning is hardly reassuring.

To give an impression that it is proactive, the state government has transferred out Home Secretary P Amudha, and it has reshuffled senior police officers including shunting out Chennai Police Commissioner Sandeep Rai Rathore.

Many of those murdered are political workers or gang members who are history sheeters, but that does not absolve the State from ensuring their safety. The Tamil Nadu Police’s track record when it comes to solving such cases is patchy at best. What has been seen in the past is that often the so-called murderers surrender after a major crime has been committed. Years later, many of them are acquitted, thus raising the crucial question: what about the real culprit(s)? The murder of Minister K N Nehru’s brother Ramajayam, former Minister Tha Kiruttinan, the infamous Sankararaman murder case in which the Kanchi Sankaracharya was arrested, and the murder of Chennai doctor Subbiah are some of the high-profile cases that remain unsolved — with all the accused being acquitted. Confidence that the police will get to the bottom of these murders and arrest the real culprits remains low. 

Even allies of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have been critical of the murder spree. While they have been soft on the leadership of Stalin, they have been quite vocal in demanding action against the police and bureaucracy. VCK party chief Thol Thirumavalavan, a DMK ally, alleged that those who surrendered in the Armstrong murder case were not the real killers. Karti Chidambaram of the Congress, another ally, also raised concerns about the law-and-order situation.

Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami has not minced words in criticising the government. The Palaniswami-led All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) sees the lawlessness as an opportunity to corner the ruling DMK. The AIADMK chief also sees a chance to portray him as an active Opposition leader.

The use of drugs and the smuggling of narcotics has become a major talking point across Tamil Nadu. The number of drug hauls is on the rise, and so are the attacks on the general public by drug addicts. Whatever the statistics may say, there is a clear perception that the government has a long way to go before it can claim to effectively crack down on the drug menace.

Fresh from its clean sweep in the Lok Sabha elections and a victory with a huge margin in the Vikravandi assembly byelection last week, it would seem that the DMK is riding on a wave of public approval. Nothing could be further from the truth. But with the Opposition at loggerheads with each other, a divided Opposition is unable to capitalise on the sizable anti-incumbency in Tamil Nadu. Rumour is that a confident Stalin is planning on inducting his son and Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin as Deputy Chief Minister in the coming few days. These may be difficult times for the state, but for the ruling party, the sailing still seems smooth.

(Sumanth Raman is a Chennai-based television anchor and political analyst.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.