[1]The road to Onchiyam is draped in black flags to mourn the death of T.P. Chandrasekharan, leader of the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP), who was killed in a vicious attack on Friday night by an alleged quotation gang.
On both sides of the road, the houses of CPM sympathisers stand like haunted houses with glasses of window panes broken by supporters of Chandrasekharan. A large posse of policemen is stationed at every junction.
At the home of the slain leader, his wife Rema, son Abhinand, mother Pathmini and brother Sethumadhavan were being consoled by sympathisers and party workers.
Since 2008 when Chandrasekharan left the CPM, his family and supporters have been afraid for his safety.
Chandrasekharan’s brother Sehtumadhavan told Deccan Chronicle that they hade been expecting something like this, 'but we never expected it in such a brutal manner'. He works in the Gulf and arrived on Saturday to participate in the last rites of his brother.
Chandrasekharan’s son, Abhinand, a college student, said his father had told him to be prepared for anything. “He advised me to be bold and face whatever comes. But I never expected it be so soon,” he said.
Chandrasekharan had just built a new house after taking a loan and was planning to move into it
soon. Wife Rema told visitors that two days ago her husband slept on the veranda of the new house for a few hours and told her that he was so happy that he had slept in his new house.
“He was worried that he won’t be able to sleep in the new house as he felt that death is close on his heels,” she said.
“They can kill us, but cannot defeat us,” she added bravely. Onchiyam’s citizens are plunged in gloom.
“From the moment we learned about his death, all the women in our homes are mourning as
he was one of us,” said Baburaj, a neighbour.
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