The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Dhobis subjected to social boycott

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Dhobis subjected to social boycott

Correspondent

VIZIANAGARAM: Eight dhobi families at Kothapenta village in Bobbili mandal are facing social boycott for the last few days for demanding more paddy in tune with the spiralling prices of essential commodities.

The age-old practice of giving paddy in exchange for the services done throughout the year is still in vogue in some villages in the district.

Irked by their demand, the village elders passed a diktat the other day that if any one in the village either talked to them or sold essential commodities to them would be fined Rs.500.

Fencing removed

Barbed wire fencing was also erected overnight and restricted their entry into ‘grama kantam’ land (centrally located vacant place in a village).

This was, however, removed by Bobbili Sub-Inspector M. Appa Rao following a complaint he received from the dhobis.

Conciliation talks that were held between them at the behest of the SI reportedly failed and there was no let up in the social boycott, Reddy Venue, CPI (M) division secretary told The Hindu over phone on Thursday. Fearing attacks, the families were purchasing essential commodities from Golladi village.

The Sub-Inspector said that the elders had agreed to increase the quantity of paddy slightly but they were not ready to part with the ‘grama kantam’ land that the dhobis had been demanding saying that their families were enjoying the land for the last three generations.

Contentious issue

Sarpanch of the panchayat Bethanaalli Balaram Naidu said that the dispute arose only after they tried to grab the land located on their backyard.

Tehsildar P.R.K. Raju was making every effort to solve the dispute.

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