KANNUR: If nothing works, then try sports. This seems to be the strategy Kannur police is now adopting in its attempt to contain political violence that has earned the district and the state notoriety all over the country, and perhaps beyond. The police is now organising volleyball tournaments in politically divided areas of the district. In a concluding match in Mamparam on Sunday, leaders from all major political parties came together against the police team.
The plan was envisaged by district police chief G. Siva Vikram and organised by city circle inspector K.V. Pramod with the support of Thalassery block panchayat and Junior Chamber of India. The match on Sunday, after the successful event in Chakkarakkal, was organised at Mamparam. Several such matches are planned in Thalassery and Panur areas aiming at bringing the clashes rate in the grassroot level down, said Mr Pramod.
"Usually, small verbal clashes at the village or local level flare up to be big violence later," Mr Pramod said. "There were incidents where the people belonging to opposing parties do not even look at each other or talk and wait for a reason to pounce upon the other. Our intention is to give them a chance to be with each other and talk to each other, to realise that they are not enemies."
In the match at Mamparam, six major volleyball teams from Kerala and Karnataka including the Army players and four district teams played. The special match has been arranged where CPM, Congress, CPI and BJP-RSS leaders will face the police officers in the district.
From the politicians' team, the players included Thalassery block panchayat president K.K. Rajeevan (CPM), DCC general secretary Mamparam Divakaran, Yuva Morcha state secretary K.P. Arun, state vice-president Biju Elakkuzhi and CPI district secretary Santhosh, along with journalist Shameer Oorppally and volleyball player Kamal Makreri. Among the police team were KAP-4 assistant commandant P. Asok Kumar, Kannur Town CI K. Rathna Kumar, Mr Pramod, Kuthuparamba CI Joshy Joseph and SI Shinith. And the police won the match, defeating the politicians. Now, they would want to win the larger game, too.
