CHENNAI: Noted Tamil music composer and singer Santosh Narayanan has called out rising hatred toward people from other States, the growing normalisation of violence, and the role of political and caste groups in stoking such attacks, following the recent assault on an Odisha youth on a local train in the state.
In a social media post on Tuesday (December 30) night, Narayanan said he has lived for over a decade in an area of Chennai that he described as “absolutely top-tier dangerous, especially at night,” citing the presence of hooligans and criminals, many of whom he alleged were under the influence of substances.
Referring to recent incidents near his studio site, the composer said several construction workers in his studio site had been attacked repeatedly. Recalling one such case, Narayanan alleged that an accused continued to laugh even while being subjected to police lathi charge, claiming the individual was “stoned beyond limits.”
Narayanan further alleged that many of the attackers display racist attitudes and target people from other States. “Most of these attackers are proud racists and blanket hate or attack people from other States,” he said. He also pointed to the role of local political factions and caste-based groups, stating that they often come forward to support these offenders, who are largely young men. “They end up ruining many lives along with theirs,” he lamented.
The composer also reflected on the cultural context of violence in his tweet. “The lines between glorified violence on screen and real incidents such as the recent one have really started blurring,” he wrote, adding that it was “high time we act responsibly,” including himself.
Meanwhile, the police on Tuesday stated that investigations had ruled out racial motivation and drug influence in the Tiruttani assault case. The incident occurred on December 27 when Suraj (20), a youth from Odisha, was allegedly forced off a Chennai-Tiruttani EMU train by four minor boys, taken to abandoned quarters, attacked with machetes, and the assault was filmed and uploaded on social media.
All four minors were apprehended on the following day. They were booked under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (attempt to murder), and produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, with three sent to a place of safety and one handed over to his parents. Suraj, who was shifted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai, later left the hospital to return to his hometown.
(With inputs from Bureau)
