The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Sarpanch pleads for mercy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 19, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Sarpanch pleads for mercy

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, OCT.18. A sarpanch, claiming to be a victim of naxalite violence, fell at the feet of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) emissary, Varavara Rao, seeking protection to his life, as the revolutionary writer accompanied by balladeer, Gadar, emerged from the Manjeera guest house after meeting the naxalite leaders on Monday.

The sarpanch of Rukmapur (Medak district), Mekala Venkataswamy Mudiraj, showed the scar of a bullet wound on his abdomen caused allegedly by firing by two extremists. Mr. Mudiraj, who was a Telugu Desam Party MPTC member earlier, earned extremists' wrath for distributing rice just before the last Assembly elections.

As he pleaded with the two CPI (Maoist) emissaries, Gadar sought to assure him that nothing would happen to him.

Mr. Mudiraj said after the attack he had been eking out a living in the city by selling bottles and papers.

His wife Satyamma, pointing to their 16-year-old daughter and nine-year-old son, said both were missing their school.

They wanted to plead with the naxalite leaders that they be "allowed" to return to the village where they have two acres.

The father of a 25-year-old youth from Cheverthi (Medak), who went missing seven years ago, came to the guest house to know his whereabouts.

In search of son

There was no news about his only son though the police stated two years ago that he was killed in an encounter.

Another young man, RVSRN Prasad, alias Sudhir from Vijayawada, created a commotion by insisting on meeting the leaders and tried to barge in even as People's Guerrilla Liberation Army guards and policemen tried to reason with him.

He told the police that his brother might get him killed, as he was unmarried, with a view to grabbing property.

A police officer counselled and sent him to the Punjagutta police station, where his sister, who lives in the city, was told to meet him.

Stream of visitors

A group of auto drivers, under the aegis of a thrift society, sought an enquiry into `harassment' by auto financiers. Similarly, members of the IDPL Employees Cooperative house Building Society wanted "annalu" to intervene for taking possession of 65 acres at Hydernagar purchased by them from two private enterprises.

A group of Osmania University students interacted with the leaders for more than two hours.

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