Social media furious after Kerala tribal youth killed for 'stealing' food

Madhu, a 27-year-old who lived in a tribal colony in Attapady forest, was beaten under the suspicion that he was a thief.

The killing of a Adivasi man in Kerala's Attappadi has caused outrage in social media as the video and photos of the attack went viral. Madhu, a 27-year-old who lived in a tribal colony in Attapady forest, was beaten under the suspicion that he was a thief.

People from various walks of life expressed outrage and pain at the incident of vigilante justice.

“It is heinous crime. A civilised society can’t tolerate such acts. The government will take strict action against the guilty,” CM Pinarayi Vijayan said in a Facebook post.

Actor Mammooty took to Facebook to express his anguish. "Don't call Madhu an Adivasi. I call him my younger brother. The mob killed my brother. He is a human being, a brother or a son too and above all, someone who has all the rights of an Indian citizen. Someone who steals out of hunger is not a thief. Hunger is a creation of society. Who gave them the power to take law into their hands. There is no justification for a man attacking a man. How can we claim ourselves as civilised in such a world? Forgive us, Madhu,'' he wrote.

Palakkad MP, MB Rajesh, in a Facebook post wrote, "The mob killing in Attappadi is shocking and painful. The fact that the deceased was an Adivasi youth who had mental health issues make the incident more serious. Such tendencies should not be repeated. It's an attack on the democratic sense, consciousness, and sense of justice of the state. The 'selfie' culture of making violence similar to life evokes panic.”

Writer Sara Joseph took to Facebook to condemn Madhu's killing. “This is a dangerous face of the Malayalees. I am scared to see the attitude of the rich towards starvation and poverty. What he stole is rice. Just because he was hungry. Where are the gods?”

Actor Joy Mathew also posted on Facebook. "They beat him to death, accusing him of robbing a shop for items worth Rs 200. Since Madhu is not part of any political party, there will be no one to fight for him. But, we should all feel ashamed thinking about that Malayali who took a selfie and celebrated, just moments before Madhu was beaten to death."

"It is shocking to know that a hungry Adivasi man was assaulted and killed for stealing food. There should be stringent action against the culprits. This is the best example of the miserable life of the tribals of Kerala," wrote Kummanam Rajashekharan on Facebook.

He is black, shabby, and moreover hungry !! wrote noted film director Ashiq Abu.

Actor Jayasurya took to Facebook to write, "Madhu- it's you and me. The distance between Madhu and us is just the distance of hunger. I am ashamed of living in a land where people kill a hungry man instead of hunger. I belive there will be immediate action against the culprits".

"Hey man, its because you have robbed him, he went in search of food." wrote the national award winning actor Suraj Venjaramood.