MALAPPURAM: The demise of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa cast a pall of gloom over Kanhiyoor, a village in Nannamukku panchayat in the district, where over 200 Tamil migrant families live. The men and women from Tamil Nadu who have been settled at Kanhiyoor for decades gathered at the village centre weeping on Tuesday. Many of them were on a day-long fast and no Tamil family in the village cooked food in their homes until the mortal remains of Jayalalithaa were laid to rest at Marina Beach in Chennai.
The Tamils started mourning from 2 a.m. in front of a framed image of Jaya decorated with flowers at the village centre. The people started thronging the venue by 6 a.m. showering floral tributes to Jaya. Many mourners broke into loud wails. “We are not working today as our Amma has gone forever. We will not eat or cook food today and many of us have been already on fast since the news of her death came,” said Palani Prahladan, a Tamil resident.
Later, they took out a silent procession through the village. Some of the mourners shaved off their heads. “The other local residents also joined the mourning in solidarity with the Tamil population” said V.K. Noushad, a local politician. The Tamil migrant families have been engaged in construction, agriculture and other daily labour.
