Tribals Kidnap MRO

Eluru, May 29: The tribals in the Agency tracts of West Godavari district turned violect on Thursday and kidnapped the Jeelugumilli Mandal Revenue Officer, Mr. T. Prakasa Rao.

This was following the arrest of the director of "sakti" (a voluntary organisation), Mr. P. Sivaramakrishna and his wife and co-ordinator, Mrs. Sarada Devi. About 300 tribals of Panduvarigudem and Pathacheemalapadu, attacked the Mandal Revenue Office, cut off the telephone lines, ransacked the furniture and kidnapped the MRO.

Earlier, the police opened fire in the air to disperse the tribals who tried to prevent the police from arresting Mr. Sivaramakrishna and Mrs. Sarada Devi, at Panduvarigudem in Jeelugumilli mandal, who were there to hold talks with the tribals. At that time Jangareddygudem Inspector of police, Mr. D. Satyanarayana Rao, Sub-Inspector, Mr. Vijaya Paul, alongmen of APSP first batallion, surrounded the the area and demanded Mr. Sivaramakrishna and Mrs. Sarada Devi to surrender as non-bailable warants were pending against them. The tribals foiled the attempts of police to arrest them. They used sticks in obstructing the police to approach Sakti Leders. In the tussle, Mr. Vijaya Paul and five constables were injured. The condition of three constables was said to be critical.

The police arrested Sakti director Mr. P. Sivaramakrishna, his wife and coordinator Ms. Sarada Devi, Borada Ramana (Srikakulam District) Tella Venkateswara Rao (West Godavari) Adapati Venkata Ramana (East Godavari District) and took them to Jangareddigudem enroute to Kovvur to produce them before Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Mr. Sabyasachi Ghosh. The police also seized "Sakti" jeep AP5-c1624.

The Collector, Ms. Vasudha Mishra, said that negotiations will be made with the tribals for release of the Jeelugumilli MRO. The tribals have placed 10 demands for the release of MRO.

31-5-99 Deccan Chroniicle

Complaint -against task cops

FROM OUR BUREAU

Eluru, May 30: Sivaramakrishna, Convenor of Shakti Samstha,

a voluntary organization, lodged a complain; with the district Superintendent of Police against the atrocities of task force police on tribals.

In his complaint, he alleged that the task force personnel were taking away valuables like rnotorcycles and utensils from tribal vil­lages and quoted instances of taking away of a Bajaj Kawasaki motorcycle and three mopeds of his men after raiding Panduvarigudem and Vankavariguclem vil­lages. The police also took away a Hero Honda motorcycle after taking a tribal Modiyam Srinu into custody, he said.

Urging the SP to take stringent action against the culprits, he sought the SP to pass directions to the task force police personnel to stop harassing innocent tribals.

Saturday, May 31, 1997.

Eluru, May 30: The tribals in the Agency tracts of West Godavari district turned violent on Thursday and kidnapped the Jeelugumilli Mandal Revenue Officer, Mr. T. Prakasa Rao.

The angry tribals were irked by the arrest of the director of "Sakti" (a voluntary organisation), Mr. P. Sivaramakrishna and his wife and coordinator, Mrs Sarada Devi. About 300 tribals of Panduvarigudem and Pathacheemalapadu, attacked the Mandal Revenue Office, cut off the telephone lines, ransacked the furniture and kidnapped the MRO.

Earlier, the police opened fire in the air to disperse the tribals who tried to prevent the police from arresting Mr. Sivarama Krishna and Mrs. Sarada Devi.

Abducted MRO Released

Sunday, June 1, 1997.

Eluru, May 31: The Jeelugumilli Mandal Revenue Officer, Mr. T. Prakash Rao (50), who was abducted by tribals of Panduvarigudem and surrounding villages on Thursday, returned to his office safely on Friday morning escorted by tribals.

Mr. Prakash Rao met the District Collector, Joint Collector, District Revenue Officer and the mediamen here to narrate his experience during the 20-hour stay in a hideout.

He said at 1.30 p.m. some 500 tribals, majority of them women, beseiged his office and some of them pulled him out bare-footed. When he made an appeal that he be allowed to wear footwear since he was a diabetic, they refused his request.

Some of them had bows and arrows and sticks. In the first instance they took him to an orchard in Panduvarigudem and kept him there till 7 p.m.

After serving curd-rice, they said he was going to be shifted to Jillalagudem and took him by Luna to a remote village in Buttayigudem mandal in the dark and kept him there throughout the night. He was under constant watch by 3 or 4 tribals. He was provided with a cot to sleep.

After sunrise, they received a telephone message from "Sakti" leaders and took him back to his office at Jeelugumilli in the early hours.

He was permitted to avail casual leave to recover from the depression and also to meet his family members.

Tribals Kidnap MRO

Eluru, May 29: The tribals in the Agency tracts of West Godavari district turned violect on Thursday and kidnapped the Jeelugumilli Mandal Revenue Officer, Mr. T. Prakasa Rao.

This was following the arrest of the director of "sakti" (a voluntary organisation), Mr. P. Sivaramakrishna and his wife and co-ordinator, Mrs. Sarada Devi. About 300 tribals of Panduvarigudem and Pathacheemalapadu, attacked the Mandal Revenue Office, cut off the telephone lines, ransacked the furniture and kidnapped the MRO.

Earlier, the police opened fire in the air to disperse the tribals who tried to prevent the police from arresting Mr. Sivaramakrishna and Mrs. Sarada Devi, at Panduvarigudem in Jeelugumilli mandal, who were there to hold talks with the tribals. At that time Jangareddygudem Inspector of police, Mr. D. Satyanarayana Rao, Sub-Inspector, Mr. Vijaya Paul, alongmen of APSP first batallion, surrounded the the area and demanded Mr. Sivaramakrishna and Mrs. Sarada Devi to surrender as non-bailable warants were pending against them. The tribals foiled the attempts of police to arrest them. They used sticks in obstructing the police to approach Sakti Leders. In the tussle, Mr. Vijaya Paul and five constables were injured. The condition of three constables was said to be critical.

The police arrested Sakti director Mr. P. Sivaramakrishna, his wife and coordinator Ms. Sarada Devi, Borada Ramana (Srikakulam District) Tella Venkateswara Rao (West Godavari) Adapati Venkata Ramana (East Godavari District) and took them to Jangareddigudem enroute to Kovvur to produce them before Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Mr. Sabyasachi Ghosh. The police also seized "Sakti" jeep AP5-c1624.

The Collector, Ms. Vasudha Mishra, said that negotiations will be made with the tribals for release of the Jeelugumilli MRO. The tribals have placed 10 demands for the release of MRO.

Reporter's Dairy

Hindu, June 2, 1997.

Tribals are too sensitive to criticism of their habits and customs. The tribals of Panduvarigudem who kidnapped the Jeelugumilli MRO, Mr. T. Prakasa Rao, demanding the release of their 'Master,' Dr. P. Sivaramakrishna, director of Sakti, had an opportunity to register their protest against the humiliation they reportedly suffered in the hands of the officer.

The tribals said when a few women went to his office some months ago, the women were told that they were stinking and asked them to get off. The officer reportedly called them 'Koya kampu' (koya stench). While tribal men were busy grappling with the developments after the kidnap, women harped on the humiliation episode. They contended: 'When we stink why should the police and officers be after our villages.' The officer was forced to live with them for a day, cat their food and sleep in their bed.

Another action of the officer which annoyed the tribals was that when he assumed charge three months ago, he called the tribals at Tatirannagudem for a meeting. Minutes after the revenue officials left the village, the police raided the village and arrested men and women. The episode earned the officer the distrust of tribals.