<![CDATA[Coimbatore: There was heavy drama leading to a 20-minute traffic block in front of the district collectorate and police commissioner's office entrance in the city when 11 people from a family tried to immolate themselves on Monday. The family, claiming to be depressed over not being issued a patta for their house, poured kerosene over themselves. There were stopped by a battalion of constables and sub-inspectors on duty in front of the offices. The family, including six children, two men and three women, walked towards the collectorate, stopped at the junction between State Bank Road and Commissioner Office Road and began pouring kerosene over themselves. Policemen rushed to the spot and separated the family members from each other and quickly searched them for matchboxes. Once the members were separated and carried away, the policemen brought in large cans of water and poured it over the women and children. One of the protesting men said, "We want patta for our house. We have been here seven times seeking patta for our house but there was no response from the officials." One of the women, Nagadevi, said they were residents of Konganiamman Koil Road in Sulur. "For the past two years, we have been trying to get patta for our house. Without patta, we are not able to get any facilities and treated like encroachers," she said.]]>
