The news that a young man from Tamil Nadu pitifully died last Sunday night, 9.30 pm after being pushed off a bus at the economic centre in Singapore called Tekka spread.
Upon hearing this news, the youths who were standing by in the same Tekka area rioted. As a result of this more than 10 vehicles were destroyed and burnt. More than 20 were wounded.
On the next day, being Monday, it was known that the person who died in the accident is the son of Kumaravel s/o Sakthivel (33), from the village called Maramadakki Sathiram, near Arimalam in Puthukottai district in Tamil Nadu.
The family of Kumaravel who heard this news from relatives and friends, called the company where the the dead man was employed and asked that his body be sent home.
As per the family’s request, the body of Kumaravel was sent by cargo to addressed to Kumaravel’s village. The cargo was addressed to a man called Karthi from the same village. The body reached Chennai, India, on Tuesday night. From here, an ambulance brought the body to the village. The body reached the village on Wednesday morning 9 am.
The entire village got together when they heard the news that Kumaravel’s body had reached them. Everyone cried out loud in sadness.
5 minutes after being brought to the village the body was buried in the village’s cemetery.
Kumaravel’s father died a few years ago. His sister Mageswari was murdered a few months ago for jewelleries and money in her husband’s house in Kerala, a month after she had married and moved there. The people said that tragic incidents keep happening continuously to this family.
Kumaravel’s younger brother Ramesh is the branch secretary of a AIDMK (political party).
– R Bakthsingh
*Translated from nakkheeran article ‘சிங்கப்பூர்பஸ்விபத்தில்இறந்தவர்உடல் சொந்தஊருக்குகொண்டுவரப்பட்டது( படங்கள்)’dated 11 December 2013 by Ravi Philemon
(Photos from Nakkheran)
