MADRAS: At least 10 persons were killed this morning [Feb 12] when police opened fire on crowds to quell anti-Hindi rioting at Pollachi, near Coimbatore, in the state of Madras. Troops at Pollachi opened fire, in turn, on crowds in the afternoon after the situation became uncontrollable. There was no immediate report on the number of dead in the second firing. Four more persons were reported killed early today by police firing on rioters in Pondicherry on the south-east coast. Troops moved into the former French territory to restore law and order. The Pondicherry railway station has been completely burnt down. Deepening violence spread across Madras state and to other points of South India during the day as crowds rose against established authority. As the situation worsened in Madras, the state capital, Police were authorised to open fire at discretion to maintain order.

Aside from persons who have been killed today, 40 persons were known to have died in violent clashes throughout Madras state during the past three days, with hundreds injured and thousands arrested. The Headmaster of an elementary school in a village of Tiruchi district of Madras burned himself to death yesterday [Feb 11] as an anti-Hindi protest gesture.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2015

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