THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A high-level meeting of district police chiefs and supervising DIGs and IGs was held here in the wake of the riot-like situation involving migrant labourers at Kizhakkambalam on Sunday.
At the meeting, state police chief Anil Kant instructed all district police chiefs to entrust deputy SPs, who head sub-divisions, to liaise with all contractors and employers of migrant labourers to establish better communication with labourers. They were asked to highlight the importance of migrant labourers for the state’s economy and the need for refraining from violent behaviour in any event.
The policemen were instructed that a message should be clearly given to labourers that one bad incident brings bad name to the entire community. They must continue to contribute to the state, peacefully, as they have done in the past, they were told. The deputy SPs and station house officers (SHOs) were asked to visit labour camps to establish a rapport with the labourers.
Police helpline numbers, contact numbers of SHOs and deputy SPs should be shared with labourers to redress their grievances quickly. All SHOs were also asked to nominate a Hindi-speaking policeman for attending to their grievances. The officers were also asked to prepare an action-taken report based on their visits to labour camps and places of work.
Police have evaluated the incident at Kizhakkambalam as one odd incident in state, which is unlikely to repeat. “It was unexpected, but it is unlikely to happen again. But, such incidents cannot be completely ruled out in future which is why counter-measures are being framed,” said a senior police official. Police have been instructed not to use force, maintain restraint, unless a situation arises where the local population are harmed.
“In Kizhakkambalam, the matter died down when police waited with patience till those who were involved in riots became sober till daybreak,” sources added. As many as 164 labourers were arrested and remanded under various sections of IPC as well as Prevention of Damage to Public Properties Act.
Meanwhile, state police have decided to bear the medical expenses of the policemen who were injured in the attack at Kizhakkambalam. Anil Kant said that the police will reimburse the treatment expenses of all policemen.
