‘Claim that 200 people were shot dead in Pollachi during anti-Hindi agitation is false’: Ex-Army officer debunks claims in Parasakthi

Retired Indian Army officer M.G. Devasahayam on Friday debunked claims in the latest Tamil film Parasakthi that 200 people were shot dead by the armed forces in Pollachi during the anti-Hindi imposition agitation.

Mr. Devasahayam, who served in the Madras Regiment and was posted in the Coimbatore region during the agitation in 1965, said such claims were “lies”. He later joined the Indian Administrative Service.

Speaking to The Hindu over the phone from Bengaluru, Mr. Devasahayam recalled that he was a “young Lieutenant” in the Madras Regiment, which was comprised entirely of South Indians and mostly Tamils. “We were not the so-called “Hindi army” butchering the Tamils,” he said.

Recalling the events of February 11, 1965, Mr. Devasahayam said he was returning to Maddukarai after a game of football with the Airforce team. “We were stopped by the Coimbatore police from entering the city. The entire Coimbatore market was set on fire. That was when I realised the matter was very serious. Our Commanding Officer said the Battalion was on Stand 02 (on high alert), which meant it was to assist civil authorities. It was in Tiruchengode where we saw the worst kind of violence. One Sub-Inspector and three constables were burnt alive. We stayed in Tiruchengode for a week and brought the situation under control,” he said.

However, what happened in Pollachi was completely the opposite. “We got another call from the Collector seeking help (in Pollachi). Usually, when the Army rolls in, the civilian crowd withdraws. But in Pollachi, perhaps in the heat of the moment, they attacked the Army column and the police. We couldn’t give a warning. The firing lasted only a few minutes. About 8-10 people died and a similar number were injured,” he said.

When asked to clarify whether Light Machine Guns (LMGs) were used by the Madras Regiment, Mr. Devasahayam said, “If we had used the Machine Guns, which can fire several hundred rounds, people would have died in hundreds. The fact is that we had carried a bolt-action .303 rifle, from which only one bullet can be fired at a time, and we would have fired only 35 rounds.”

Asked about the number of troops that rolled into Pollachi, Mr. Devasahayam said, “There were about 90 troops, but not all of them can fire. The Commanding Officer would actually call out the name of the one who must fire.”

The rumour about hundreds of people dying was due to the “out of context” reporting that the Madras Regiment carried LMGs, when only single-round rifles were used. Mr. Devasahayam added that an inquiry was ordered into the firing by the Army Headquarters. “I don’t understand how such misinformation could be spread in a film that is seen by millions of people,” he said.