Kochi erects ‘torch of shame’

A 25-feet tall symbolic torch that its creators called the ‘Olympics Torch of Shame with No Flame’ looked down on beach goers at Fort Kochi, while a few dozen human rights and social activists lit candles in the marine drive area here to back Tibetans protesting the Olympics torch relay in New Delhi. The protestors included members of Human Rights Law Network (Kerala), Periyar Riverkeeper, Kashi, Swadeshi Jagran Manch, World Tibet Day and the Samajwadi Jana Parishad. A documentary on the Tibet struggle was also screened at the protest venue.