The news of Dhamu’s arrest made headlines in the Travancore Nesan. The town was abuzz with excitement. Politically minded young men, as well as old freedom fighters who’d had to step aside to make way for new political trends, congregated by the tamarind-tree junction, in front of Lala Sweet Shop, by the clock tower, in the Vadaseri market, and in Kambolam in Kottar to discuss the news. They speculated about the many terrible and terrifying consequences that were soon to follow. This was what the local bigwigs opined: since Dhamu had a political background and carried extraordinary clout among betel merchants as the secretary of their association, and since he belonged to a community that was a minority in the region and had the reputation for being organized and unified, there would be serious repercussions. News spread that the next day there would a general strike supported by the Betel Merchants’ Association, that all stores would remain closed, and that there would also be a protest gathering on the municipal grounds. It was also rumored that an emergency meeting of the Betel Merchants’ Association was scheduled for midnight and that men had already been sent in a taxi to fetch the local MLA, who had gone to Thiruvananthapuram to attend the legislative assembly in session. It was rumored that the glass showcases in Khader’s store had been smashed within an hour of Dhamu’s arrest, but nobody could confirm it. It turned out to be just a rumor. But that did not stop many from ridiculing Khader for keeping his head down for a few days and not going to his store. From the way people talked, it seemed that they were delighted with the tense situation. Dhamu was released on bail on the third day, and some five hundred merchants gathered outside the courthouse to garland him. This time around, the Travancore Nesan printed Dhamu’s photo as well.

The day after Dhamu came out on bail, the police arrested Comrade Madasami, a manual scavenger who had worked closely with lawyer Janardhanan in organizing the scavengers’ union. They also arrested Madasami’s wife, Madathi, who had assisted her husband in enlisting women scavengers to the union. Since Madathi was pregnant and was ready to give birth when she was arrested, she was immediately taken by ambulance to the government maternity hospital. A week later, she gave birth to a healthy baby, in the presence of a policewoman by her bedside.

A warrant was issued for coolie Ayyappan’s arrest, but they couldn’t catch him. He was on the run.

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