Mangalore limping back to normalcy

Mangalore, Oct 10 (UNI) The city and its suburbs, which witnessed communal violence for the last one week leaving two persons dead and injuring about 90 people, were slowly limping back to normalcy, with relaxation of curfew passing off peacefully without any untoward incident.

IGP (Western Range) Satyanarayana Rao told UNI that night curfew would, however, be in force in Mangalore City, Mangalore Rural, Konaje and Ullal between 1900 hrs and 0700 hrs tomorrow as a precautionary measure. The overall situation was peaceful.

All schools and colleges would be opened tomorrow after holidays from Friday last following the volatile situation.

Vehicle movement in the city was restored, with a majority of buses plying. Business establishments did normal business. However, people had to shell out high prices due to shortage of commodities in the market. Banks, which remained closed during the last four days in the city, opened today.

Meanwhile, those affected by the communal riots in Bunder area, Car Street, Bajilakeri and Ullal expressed deep anguish over police atrocities. They complained that police forced entry into their houses and assaulted the inmates, including women, and arrested innocent people in connection with the violence.

Some party workers of ruling Janata Dal (Secular) also complained against the police to Home Minister M P Prakash and demanded that the police officials concerned be transferred immediately.

The stranded tankers and lorries, numbering over 2,000, at Shiradi Ghat were cleared when curfew was relaxed yesterday and today.

Later, a peace committee meeting held under the Presidentship of district incharge Minister B Nagaraja Shetty gave a call for maintaining peace in the district and setting up ward level peace committees. People should not give any credence to rumours and inform police in such cases, he said.

UNI MA GD RKN1925