Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin announced a solatium of Rs 10 lakh to Kannaiya’s family. Kannaiya died on Monday due to burn injuries after he set himself on fire on Sunday to stop officials from evicting the people of Govindasamy Nagar near Chennai’s Buckingham Canal.
The eviction drive was carried out by the Water Resources Department on Sunday, May 8. This had occurred a day before the Supreme Court was to hear the case.
Protesting this illegal eviction, Kannaiya set himself on fire, leading to a scuffle between the authorities and the residents of Govindsamy Nagar. He was admitted to the Kilpauk medical college for treatment, but he passed away due to injuries on Monday, May 9.
Initially, the residents who were to be evicted were allocated houses located at Semmencherry and Perumbakkam. Since these areas are on the outskirts of Chennai city, the protestors demanded another appropriate area to reside in.
Reacting to this, Dalit rights activist and popular Kollywood director Pa Ranjith, called it an act of aggression against the people of Chennai.
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader S Ramadoss also condemned that eviction drive. He urged that the eviction drive be stopped immediately. “It is a violation of human rights to demolish their houses, calling it encroachment,” tweeted Ramadoss.
