Andhra Pradesh - Cuddapah   

Ryots lock horns with Maoists

By Our Staff Reporter

CUDDAPAH, NOV. 24. The CPI (Maoist) and farmers of Gadikota panchayat in Lakkireddipalle constituency are up in arms against each other on the naxal outfit's warning against the use of threshers for harvesting paddy crop.

The CPI (Maoist) Seshachala Area Secretary, Gangadhar, has issued a warning to some farmers to send back threshers brought from Punjab and instead engage agricultural labourers for harvest work. Maintaining that deployment of mechanised equipment that harvested crop in 20 acres a day will deprive farm labourers of work, some Maoist functionaries have gone to fields where harvesting was in progress and warned thresher operators resulting in the vehicles going back.

Naxals' warning

Four threshers were harvesting paddy crop in Yedapalle and Thvvamadigapalle villages in Gadikota panchayat situated amidst Palakonda hillocks for three days when the warning was sounded.

Three naxals warned the MPTC member, Penchalaiah, in Thuvvamadigapalle village, of dire consequences if use of mechanised equipment was not given up. Most farm labourers were Dalits and they were being denied work by using threshers, the naxals claimed.

Police help sought

However, the farmers who engaged threshers brought from Punjab, sought to resist the Maoists by seeking police protection. Farmers of Gadikota, led by farmer leaders -- Nagur Reddy and Nagaraju -- staged dharna before the Veeraballe police station on Sunday decrying the Maoist threats.

They represented to the police demanding that the threshers be brought back to continue harvest.

In a counter-agitation, Maoist sympathisers staged a dharna before the Rayachoti MRO office on Monday evening alleging that landlords staging the protest at Veeraballe.

The Rayalaseema Civil Liberties Committee convenor, M.J. Subbarami Reddy, ridiculed the claims of shortage of farm labour for harvesting, when they were engaged for sowing operations.

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Ryots lock horns with Maoists

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