The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : When journalists almost fell to police bullets

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Thursday, Jan 20, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

When journalists almost fell to police bullets

By Dasu Kesava Rao

HYDERABAD, JAN. 19. There is palpable tension once again in the rural areas following the sudden souring of relations between Government and the naxalites.

It was exactly this day 30 years ago, at the height of a similar police-naxal stand-off, that a group of Hyderabad journalists had a close brush with death in the forests of East Godavari district. Mistaking the scribes for naxalites, the local police would have pulled the trigger, but for an alert reporter.

It all began on January 20, 1975 when the then Power Minister, G. Rajaram, attending a function at the Kothagudem power station suggested to a few journalists (including this writer) that they visit the Lower Sileru , Upper Sileru and Machkund power projects also. The pressmen started the same night in a Willys station wagon. The PR man of the APSEB stayed back at Bhadrachalam, promising to catch up with them soon.

Lost in jungle

Somewhere along, the unescorted pressmen lost their way and strayed into the deep forests. In what seemed an endless odyssey of no-return, the pressmen trudged along, negotiating jungle streams, bamboo bridges and boulder-strewn paths up the steep hillocks in pitch darkness. But for the driving skills of Tulsi Singh, the van could have tumbled off hillocks or got bogged down in rivulets. Death stalked the pressmen, but fortunately never caught up. Most of the journalists were famished, having missed lunch in order to meet deadlines and dinner. The fuel tank was getting depleted as the van ran for most part on the load gear (4-wheel drive).

The team reached the first human settlement and was greeted by the tribals sitting before bonfires at the unearthly hour of 2 a.m.

Tense moments

``Sir, a tiger took away our calf and we are scared,'' they explained. The nearest village where we could rest, they said, was an hour away. It was around 2:30 a.m. that the group reached Rampachodavaram, famous for Alluri Seetaramaraju's daring attack on its police station.

While looking for the police station, the press party unwittingly passed by it thrice, arousing the suspicion of the armed guards. As the van moved into the driveway, the police, by now fully alert, charged at it shouting `FIRE.'

The newsmen would have been mowed down by bullets but for the presence of mind of Kapila Parthasarathy. KP, an agency reporter, ripped off his white shirt and waving it, shouted: `` We are friends, not enemies.'' The police were convinced and became chummy only frisking journalists in `hands-up' posture and looking at "govt. vehicle' on the number plate. Thanks to police `hawa' in villages, the guests were treated to hot tea and biscuits at 3 a.m.!

The van just had just enough petrol to reach Rajahmundry, the nearest town. The `penniless' journalists headed for Rajahmundry, got the tank filled by local APSEB officials, and borrowed Rs. 100 from a local contact for expenses for the homeward trip.

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