How an awful mixture of casteism and also national politics resulted in Andhra’s Konaseema physical violence
As Amalapuram draws in the results of the terrible demonstrations versus Andhra government’s choice to name Konaseema area after Dr BR Ambedkar, TNM discovers the ground truth of just how and also why such a revenge was managed.
The community of Amalapuram in Andhra Pradesh has actually developed into a citadel. Dressed in trouble equipment and also equipped with safety helmets, hand held-riot control guards, arms and also batons, paramilitary workers have actually established checkpoints at numerous places, an unique view for the locals of the or else tranquil community It was simply a couple of days back, on May 24, that terrible demonstrations burst out in Amalapuram– currently the head office of Konaseema, the brand-new area took of the erstwhile East Godavari– presented punitive to the government’s choice to relabel Konaseema as Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema area The objection quickly grew out of control right into full-on physical violence, leaving numerous cars gutted, your homes of a minister and also an MLA were heated, and also around 20 police workers were wounded as militants considered rock pelting. Police workers patrolling in Amalapuram community.
READ: Andhra Minister and also MLA’s residences torched over renaming of Konaseema area
The government reacted by hiring extra pressures and also releasing paramilitary workers in great deals. “On the first day, we were rattled to see all these police personnel and inspections at every street corner. The internet was also suspended. This is something we haven’t seen so far in this area. But now that it is the second day, we are getting used to this,” autorickshaw chauffeur Pulidindi Venkateshwar informed TNM on May 25.
The police group exploring the physical violence has actually discovered that the occasions were pre-planned and also managed. Out of the 46 individuals that were apprehended hereof on the initial day, as lots of as 19 individuals have actually been apprehended up until now. The police claim they have considerable proof to verify the function of those apprehended in the physical violence that unravelled inAmalapuram But there stays a concern that has greatly gone unanswered: just how, and also why, was the transfer to call the area after the engineer of the Indian constitution met physical violence? Before trying to comprehend this, allow’s initial take a much deeper consider the social construct of the area concerned.
READ: 46 apprehended for physical violence over relabeling AP’s Konaseema area after Ambedkar
Konaseema area exists in between 2 tributaries of the Godavari river, making it an extremely abundant location occupied by individuals primarily in the farming market. According to the 2011 demographics, the area houses a populace of around 17.19 lakh individuals. Hindus make up virtually 97.4% of the area’s populace. Nearly 25% of individuals right here come from Scheduled Caste (SC) teams, while much less than 1% come from Scheduled Tribes (ST). The Kapu and also Setti Balija neighborhoods, both leading caste teams, make up the continuing to be populace. So, why did the Jagan Mohan Reddy government choose to prefix the name of the area with Dr BR Ambedkar, simply days after it introduced on April 4 that the area would certainly be described as Konaseema The choice to rechristen the area’s name was introduced on May 18. A need to relabel the area.
When it was recognized that the state’s areas were mosting likely to be split and also relabelled, the BR Ambedkar Jilla Sadhana Samithi in addition to a variety of various other Dalit organisations had actually asked for the government to relabel the area as Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema area, Samithi convenor Janga Babu Rao educates TNM. “Three (Razole, Amalapuram and Gannavaram) out of the seven constituencies in Konaseema are SC reserved. If you consider the SC groups alone, we are around five lakh in population. The Amalapuram Lok Sabha constituency is also a reserved constituency. It is considering all this that we requested the government to name the district as Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district. We too wanted ‘Konaseema’ to be retained in the district’s name. We requested for Dr BR Ambedkar to be made part of the district’s name because he is our god. We have no other god. According to the Manu Dharmashastra (believed to be the first legal text and constitution written by sages), we were not even allowed inside temples. Hence, our only god is Babasaheb Ambedkar.” Ambedkar Bhavan in Amalapuram which was assaulted by the activists
On March 7, a substantial rally called the ‘Ambedkar Long March’ was arranged in Amalapuram by numerous Dalit organisations, with a need that the area be called afterAmbedkar “The streets had turned blue as hundreds of people gathered holding blue flags, demanding that the district be named after Babasaheb. Eventually, on April 4, when the district was named Konaseema, we were really disappointed,” statesJanga Babu Rao
On May 13, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy had actually gotten to Muramalla in the area, as component of a program about the fishers’ well-being planMatsyakara Bharosa In the background of the occasion, Janga Babu Rao and also a few other Dalit reps satisfied the Chief Minister and also restated their need to include Dr BR Ambedkar to the area’s name. “We urged the Chief Minister to consider our request, pointing out how there was a large population of SCs in the constituency. In the following days, the Chief Minister must have made several rounds of consultations and even looked at the intelligence reports on the backing we have. It was following this that the government, on May 18, announced that the district would henceforth be referred to as Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district, fulfilling our wishes,” Janga Babu states. The resistance expands
Soon after the government introduced the renaming of the area on May 18, a variety of neighborhoods consisting of the effective landholding neighborhoods such as Kapus, and also the OBC neighborhoods Settibalija and also Nagavamsam had actually started to articulate their resistance to the choice. “The dominant caste groups in the region are already victims of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. They are apprehensive of what the Dalits might do if the district’s name is changed to Ambedkar. They fear what will happen to them,” states a participant of the Konaseema Parirakshana Samithi, a team that is currently battling to go down ‘Dr BR Ambedkar’ from the name of the area. The male, that comes from the Settibalija area, includes that there was a “growing worry” that the brand-new name could “embolden” theDalits The Konaseema collectorate workplace outside which a skirmish occurred on May 24
Speaking to TNM, Ch Mahesh, a Kapu male that possesses a holiday company in the community, states that while his area had absolutely nothing versus Ambedkar in itself, they felt it was wrong for the government to favour just one area. “The Dalits are making it seem as if Dr BR Ambedkar is only a representative of their community. We all respect him as the father of the Indian Constitution, on par with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. But there is a strong feeling that the government is favouring members of one community by naming the district after Ambedkar. Babasaheb Ambedkar is a great man. That shouldn’t be reduced by just naming a small district like Konaseema after him,” statesMahesh
“Naming the district after Dr BR Ambedkar is like giving them (Dalits) too much power. The fear is that this move can backfire against the other castes, as they may use it as a weapon. The government has done this for political gains. It isn’t like they really love or care about Babasaheb Ambedkar,” the business person takes place to include.
M Shiva Anjaneyulu, one more participant of the Kapu area, is the proprietor of a trendy beverages joint in the community and also a self-declared follower ofJagan Mohan Reddy He and also his relative have actually gained from the numerous well-being plans presented by the CM, states Shiva, previously a woodworker by career. “Thanks to the benefits I received due to these welfare schemes, I am successfully running a shop today,” he states. Despite this, Shiva is essential of the government’s transfer to relabel Konaseema after Ambedkar, declaring that the government is attempting to gain the a good reputation of the SC area in Konaseema by doing so. “Frankly, Jagan has not fulfilled many of his promises, and there is an anti-Jagan sentiment among the people here. The government seems to have sensed this, and hence decided to give in to this demand for political gains,” he states. “It is also a fact that a lot of people are ashamed to say that they are from Dr BR Ambedkar district,” he includes, the very least troubled regarding concealing his caste predispositions.
Janga Babu, that is likewise a previous supporter and also a Dalit protestor, calls out these ‘fears’ shared by individuals of various other castes wherefore they are– an end result of their deeply deep-rooted casteism. “They think that if Ambedkar’s name is added to the district, the SCs will go out of control. Their ‘fear’ is that the Dalits will feel emboldened. At one point of time, we were treated as slaves who were not even allowed to stand in front of Brahmins without folding our hands. Even today, despite the SC communities’ growth through education, they want to pelt stones at us,” states the BR Ambedkar Jilla Sadhana Samithi convenor. The government’s objectives
Pavan Kumar, a reporter and also political expert, is questionable of the government’s objectives behind relabeling the area. “The demand to name Konaseema after Ambedkar originated much before the creation of these districts. Huge processions were also conducted to draw this matter to the government’s attention. But the new names were announced on April 4, and the fresh notification proposing to prefix Ambedkar to Konaseema’s name came as many as 48 days after the formalities were completed and the districts came into existence. If the government was really honouring a request from political and apolitical quarters, this should have happened before April 4,” Pavan mentions. The government has actually brought out this step each time when polarisation is taking place throughout the state and also Konaseema is becoming the epicentre of caste national politics, he states, including that this timing was reason to presume its objectives. The government was utilizing Ambedkar as a key resource, however plainly it backfired, he additionally specifies.
Several Dalit teams have actually required the apprehension of and also prompt activity versus individuals behind the Amalapuram physical violence on May 24, regardless of the political associations of the charged individuals. Meanwhile, the 30-day duration allocated by the government for individuals to send grievances and also comments on the choice to relabel the area is nearing its end. “We will wait and watch,” the protestors claim. “The ball is now in the government’s court. They will have to decide if they will keep Babasaheb’s name or change it back to just Konaseema. We will maintain peace until a decision is made, and decide on our further course of action accordingly.”
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READ: Andhra Minister and also MLA’s residences torched over renaming of Konaseema area
The government reacted by hiring extra pressures and also releasing paramilitary workers in great deals. “On the first day, we were rattled to see all these police personnel and inspections at every street corner. The internet was also suspended. This is something we haven’t seen so far in this area. But now that it is the second day, we are getting used to this,” autorickshaw chauffeur Pulidindi Venkateshwar informed TNM on May 25.
The police group exploring the physical violence has actually discovered that the occasions were pre-planned and also managed. Out of the 46 individuals that were apprehended hereof on the initial day, as lots of as 19 individuals have actually been apprehended up until now. The police claim they have considerable proof to verify the function of those apprehended in the physical violence that unravelled inAmalapuram But there stays a concern that has greatly gone unanswered: just how, and also why, was the transfer to call the area after the engineer of the Indian constitution met physical violence? Before trying to comprehend this, allow’s initial take a much deeper consider the social construct of the area concerned.
READ: 46 apprehended for physical violence over relabeling AP’s Konaseema area after Ambedkar
Konaseema area exists in between 2 tributaries of the Godavari river, making it an extremely abundant location occupied by individuals primarily in the farming market. According to the 2011 demographics, the area houses a populace of around 17.19 lakh individuals. Hindus make up virtually 97.4% of the area’s populace. Nearly 25% of individuals right here come from Scheduled Caste (SC) teams, while much less than 1% come from Scheduled Tribes (ST). The Kapu and also Setti Balija neighborhoods, both leading caste teams, make up the continuing to be populace. So, why did the Jagan Mohan Reddy government choose to prefix the name of the area with Dr BR Ambedkar, simply days after it introduced on April 4 that the area would certainly be described as Konaseema The choice to rechristen the area’s name was introduced on May 18. A need to relabel the area.
When it was recognized that the state’s areas were mosting likely to be split and also relabelled, the BR Ambedkar Jilla Sadhana Samithi in addition to a variety of various other Dalit organisations had actually asked for the government to relabel the area as Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema area, Samithi convenor Janga Babu Rao educates TNM. “Three (Razole, Amalapuram and Gannavaram) out of the seven constituencies in Konaseema are SC reserved. If you consider the SC groups alone, we are around five lakh in population. The Amalapuram Lok Sabha constituency is also a reserved constituency. It is considering all this that we requested the government to name the district as Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district. We too wanted ‘Konaseema’ to be retained in the district’s name. We requested for Dr BR Ambedkar to be made part of the district’s name because he is our god. We have no other god. According to the Manu Dharmashastra (believed to be the first legal text and constitution written by sages), we were not even allowed inside temples. Hence, our only god is Babasaheb Ambedkar.” Ambedkar Bhavan in Amalapuram which was assaulted by the activists
On March 7, a substantial rally called the ‘Ambedkar Long March’ was arranged in Amalapuram by numerous Dalit organisations, with a need that the area be called afterAmbedkar “The streets had turned blue as hundreds of people gathered holding blue flags, demanding that the district be named after Babasaheb. Eventually, on April 4, when the district was named Konaseema, we were really disappointed,” statesJanga Babu Rao
On May 13, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy had actually gotten to Muramalla in the area, as component of a program about the fishers’ well-being planMatsyakara Bharosa In the background of the occasion, Janga Babu Rao and also a few other Dalit reps satisfied the Chief Minister and also restated their need to include Dr BR Ambedkar to the area’s name. “We urged the Chief Minister to consider our request, pointing out how there was a large population of SCs in the constituency. In the following days, the Chief Minister must have made several rounds of consultations and even looked at the intelligence reports on the backing we have. It was following this that the government, on May 18, announced that the district would henceforth be referred to as Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district, fulfilling our wishes,” Janga Babu states. The resistance expands
Soon after the government introduced the renaming of the area on May 18, a variety of neighborhoods consisting of the effective landholding neighborhoods such as Kapus, and also the OBC neighborhoods Settibalija and also Nagavamsam had actually started to articulate their resistance to the choice. “The dominant caste groups in the region are already victims of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. They are apprehensive of what the Dalits might do if the district’s name is changed to Ambedkar. They fear what will happen to them,” states a participant of the Konaseema Parirakshana Samithi, a team that is currently battling to go down ‘Dr BR Ambedkar’ from the name of the area. The male, that comes from the Settibalija area, includes that there was a “growing worry” that the brand-new name could “embolden” theDalits The Konaseema collectorate workplace outside which a skirmish occurred on May 24
Speaking to TNM, Ch Mahesh, a Kapu male that possesses a holiday company in the community, states that while his area had absolutely nothing versus Ambedkar in itself, they felt it was wrong for the government to favour just one area. “The Dalits are making it seem as if Dr BR Ambedkar is only a representative of their community. We all respect him as the father of the Indian Constitution, on par with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. But there is a strong feeling that the government is favouring members of one community by naming the district after Ambedkar. Babasaheb Ambedkar is a great man. That shouldn’t be reduced by just naming a small district like Konaseema after him,” statesMahesh
“Naming the district after Dr BR Ambedkar is like giving them (Dalits) too much power. The fear is that this move can backfire against the other castes, as they may use it as a weapon. The government has done this for political gains. It isn’t like they really love or care about Babasaheb Ambedkar,” the business person takes place to include.
M Shiva Anjaneyulu, one more participant of the Kapu area, is the proprietor of a trendy beverages joint in the community and also a self-declared follower ofJagan Mohan Reddy He and also his relative have actually gained from the numerous well-being plans presented by the CM, states Shiva, previously a woodworker by career. “Thanks to the benefits I received due to these welfare schemes, I am successfully running a shop today,” he states. Despite this, Shiva is essential of the government’s transfer to relabel Konaseema after Ambedkar, declaring that the government is attempting to gain the a good reputation of the SC area in Konaseema by doing so. “Frankly, Jagan has not fulfilled many of his promises, and there is an anti-Jagan sentiment among the people here. The government seems to have sensed this, and hence decided to give in to this demand for political gains,” he states. “It is also a fact that a lot of people are ashamed to say that they are from Dr BR Ambedkar district,” he includes, the very least troubled regarding concealing his caste predispositions.
Janga Babu, that is likewise a previous supporter and also a Dalit protestor, calls out these ‘fears’ shared by individuals of various other castes wherefore they are– an end result of their deeply deep-rooted casteism. “They think that if Ambedkar’s name is added to the district, the SCs will go out of control. Their ‘fear’ is that the Dalits will feel emboldened. At one point of time, we were treated as slaves who were not even allowed to stand in front of Brahmins without folding our hands. Even today, despite the SC communities’ growth through education, they want to pelt stones at us,” states the BR Ambedkar Jilla Sadhana Samithi convenor. The government’s objectives
Pavan Kumar, a reporter and also political expert, is questionable of the government’s objectives behind relabeling the area. “The demand to name Konaseema after Ambedkar originated much before the creation of these districts. Huge processions were also conducted to draw this matter to the government’s attention. But the new names were announced on April 4, and the fresh notification proposing to prefix Ambedkar to Konaseema’s name came as many as 48 days after the formalities were completed and the districts came into existence. If the government was really honouring a request from political and apolitical quarters, this should have happened before April 4,” Pavan mentions. The government has actually brought out this step each time when polarisation is taking place throughout the state and also Konaseema is becoming the epicentre of caste national politics, he states, including that this timing was reason to presume its objectives. The government was utilizing Ambedkar as a key resource, however plainly it backfired, he additionally specifies.
Several Dalit teams have actually required the apprehension of and also prompt activity versus individuals behind the Amalapuram physical violence on May 24, regardless of the political associations of the charged individuals. Meanwhile, the 30-day duration allocated by the government for individuals to send grievances and also comments on the choice to relabel the area is nearing its end. “We will wait and watch,” the protestors claim. “The ball is now in the government’s court. They will have to decide if they will keep Babasaheb’s name or change it back to just Konaseema. We will maintain peace until a decision is made, and decide on our further course of action accordingly.”
Why is dowry so widespread in Kerala Watch our video clip
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