The wound on the thigh of G. Palanivel, just above the knee, that required 14 stitches has healed. However, even after 55 years, the scar of the semi-circular cut made with a sickle constantly reminds him of the spine-chilling night of December 25, 1968.
Mr. Palanivel, now 77, is the survivor of the gruesome massacre that took place in Keezhvenmani, a village then located in the composite Thanjavur district, in which 44 people – including 20 women and 19 children – were locked in a hut and burnt alive by landlords for rallying under the red flag and demanding a hike in wages. All victims were agricultural labourers.
