Karamchedu

Transcription

Karamchedu happened on July 17th, 1985. When Karamachedu happened, the Dalits were unorganized. There was no organization for the Dalits then, they were working separately. They trusted the Congress, chiefly. Some, a minority of politically conscious Dalits probably, not more than 1%, were with the communists. But the majority were with the Congress, because they felt Indiramma had given them houses, lands etc. They were all with the Congress. After 1985, when six Madigas were killed by the Kamma chauvinists, then Dalit Mahasabha (emerged). Then Kathi Padma Rao was in the rationalists' association. Andhra Pradesh Dalit Mahasabha emerged after 1985. After (the rise of) Dalit Mahasabha, a very big movement took place, across the country. It (Karamchedu) was also debated internationally.. After (the rise of) Dalit Mahasabha, a very big movement took place, across the country. It (Karamchedu) was also debated internationally.. They had descended on the Madiga quarter, early in the morning. They had planned it well, arriving in lorries; they chased the villagers, they hunted them and killed them. They caught hold of whoever had gone to relieve themselves in the fields and killed them. When some hid themselves inside the houses, they broke down the doors; in one instance, they tied the father to a pillar and the son to another, and raped the womenfolk of the family in front of their eyes. They attacked with axes, spears, swords and six people were killed in that attack. After six Madigas died, a great movement took shape. During the Karamchedu movement, when NTR was the chief minister, all the oppressed castes—the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and the backward classes, the majority of agitators were backward classes—agitated against the Kamma chauvinists across the whole state. Even financially, in terms of rice, money—tonnes of rice were sent in—a lot of support was received. Despite doing all this, mobilizing such a huge movement, the Dalit movement couldn't ensure that the key culprit's name— Daggubati Chenchuramaiah —was included in the F.I.R. Even though the Dalits had mentioned that the whole attack on the Karamchedu Dalits was planned and organized by Chenchuramaiah, his name was not recorded even in the F.I.R. For almost 2-3 years after that (Karamchedu) wherever Dalits questioned oppression or asserted themselves, they (Malas and Madigas) would be threatened: You'll face the fate of the Karamchedu Dalits! Later when the People's War Group (the naxal group now known as CPI ML- Maoist) killed Chenchuramaiah in Karamchedu, the Dalits gained some courage. When Daggubati Chenchuramaih, whose name the Dalits could not even ensure was included in the F.I.R was killed (it changed their despondent mood). A strange thing happened—we were taking out a rally in our village demanding that the Karamchedu killers should be arrested. So the elders were called and asked: You're taking out a rally here because the Dalits were killed there (in Karamchedu), now if you're killed here, who'll care for you? We realized that was also true. We couldn't even get a case registered against the main culprit in Karamchedu, and now if we are attacked again, who can we turn to? We realized that was also true. We couldn't even get a case registered against the main culprit in Karamchedu, and now if we are attacked again, who can we turn to? There was great despair and anxiety among all the Dalits. But when the People's War took the action it did, then the Dalits could turn back and say: You'll meet the same fate as (the killers of) Karamchedu! Later, on August 6th, 1991, Chunduru happened. It doesn't mean that there were no such incidents in the intervening period; one or two incidents did occur, but such an organized attack, such a brutal massacre happened only in 1991. On 6th August 1991, 8 Dalits — 7 Malas and one Madiga, the Malas and Madigas lived together in that village (were killed). Chunduru is in Guntur district, a developed village, compared with other Dalit hamlets -- both villages were beside the railway tracks. Chunduru is in Guntur district, a developed village, compared with other Dalit hamlets -- both villages were beside the railway tracks. The Dalits worked as gangmen in the railways and as coolies in the agriculturally prosperous village. So they were able to earn a little, and managed to educate their children to whatever extent. There were jobholders in the village; there were some 8 M.A.s in the village even back then. In everything, as you know the ways we try to assert our self-respect—wearing shoes, the way of going to college—they couldn't tolerate that. There was a police picket in the village, there had been some conflicts happening, just as in Lakshimpeta. So on that day, the police told the Dalits that: The Reddies and Naidus (Kapus) are planning to attack you; we can't save you (the Dalits) from them, so leave the village.