Tsunduru Massacre of Dalits

[Little95]

Forwarded by Shiva Shankar:

Tsunduru Massacre of Dalits

Karamchedu and Tsunduru are not mere incidents of atrocities against
Dalits but are significant landmarks in the history of Dalit movement
in
Andhra Pradesh. The movement articulated a new sense of self-respect,
reclaimed the constitutional rights of Dalits and consolidated an
important anchor in the interlinked fields of welfare/ rights/
policies/
studies related to Dalits in A.P. Tsunduru strengthened the demand for
a
Dalit president which ultimately led to the appointment of
Dr.K.R.Narayanan, as the 8th President of the Republic of India.

Dalit Mahasabha, the harbinger of Dalit movement, which was formed in
the
wake of Karamchedu, took up the Tsunduru incident in an exemplary
manner.
Under their consummate leadership, the massacred Dalits were cremated
right in the middle of village Tsunduru and the place was named
Raktakshetram (The Land of Blood), a live reminder of the atrocity.
They
brought together the shattered community, scattered all over the
district,
and sheltered them in well-maintained camps for nine months, with
meager
resources and without any help from the state agencies. Over the next
two
years, the Sabha saw to it that four hundred and fifty families were
given
pucca houses; that the victims’ families were given compensation of
Rs.One
lakh each, that eighty seven members of the community got government
jobs
and that those who were cultivators were given agricultural land of
half
acre each. The community settled back in their own village. In short,
the
Sabha ensured that the traumatized community stood on its feet again
psychologically, economically, socially and politically to be able to
continue their life and struggle for justice on their own. While Dalit
Mahasabha has moved to other issues, Tsundur remains strongly on their
agenda.

The struggle for the securing of these rights was long and bloody.
During
this time, while the main accused were not arrested, several of the
protesting Dalits and their leaders were arrested and given prison
sentences. Some of the young Dalit activists abandoned their education,
refused marriage and dedicated themselves to the cause of Tsunduru.
Anil
Kumar, a key witness to the incident, was killed in police firing when
they were staging a dharna to set the law in motion.

The emergence of a strong Dalit movement also led to an important
change
in the left politics of Andhra Pradesh. Almost all the left political
parties started separate wings to work on issues of caste. The ML
parties
had rallied to the side of victims during the time of the Tsunduru
incident, which confirmed the primary character of caste oppression
first
seen at Karamchedu. While Janasakti was the first one to start DAFODAM
(Democratic Action Forum for Dalits and Minorities), Kulavivaksha
Vyatireka Porata Samiti of CPI(M) and Kula Nirmulana Porata Samiti. The
latter two organizations have over the last few years developed a
presence
in many areas where they have been working on atrocities on Dalits. If
the
constitutional approach of the Dalit Mahasabha strengthened the Dalit
movement, the presence of ML groups led to an increased confidence and
interest among the young. Frustration with the institutional casteism
(especially among the police) faced by the wearying work of Dalit
politics
post-Tsunduru only strengthened their belief in the need for a violent
political confrontation.

Looking at both the Dalit Mahasabha's growth and at the formation and
increasing influence of Dalit organizations among the left liberal and
ML
parties, it is clear that the Tsunduru incident has been a formative
experience in Dalit politics from the nineties onwards. It is
understood
by all the parties on the side of the Dalits that the continuing drive
for
justice and strength is yet another chapter in the legacy of Tsunduru.

All these developments have a bearing on the trial (which finally
commenced a few days back). The first witness was unable to give her
account due to distress, and her position in the witness order was
changed
by the prosecutor as he feared that she was under duress. Testimony was
given on 1st December by Merukonda Subbarao, who had served as the
first
president of the Tsunduru Victims Association. This fifty six year old
daily wage-worker, identified and named forty of the accused standing
in
the court room, from among the one hundred and eighty three accused.
The
incident was etched in his memory so strongly that he did not falter
despite the judges requests to repeat the identification. He also
withstood the cross-examination by the defense counsel.

The magnitude of Subbarao's act calls for a respectful salute. What
does
it take for a Dalit to stand up against the might of the upper-caste
and
name oppressors in a court, when in the past, he could not even walk on
the street with them, leave alone look them in the eye? How many more
Subbaraos will be needed before such incidents become part of a
shameful
history to be left behind? The Dalit women understood what he had done,
and gathered quietly round him, felicitating his act when he came out
of
the court room. By the next day scores of Dalits from surrounding
villages thronged the Special Court in Tsunduru to witness the trial.
That
the Tsunduru Dalits are no longer afraid to give witness offers just
cause
of celebration. They understand that it is the positioning of the court
in
the Dalitwada, and all that symbolizes that has made this moment
possible.
It is for us to follow their lead.

- Swathy Margaret and S. Jaya


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Runoko Rashidi <Runoko@yahoo.com>
Subject: Tsunduru Massacre of Dalits (fwd)

got this from my group " G.A.P." on yahoo...................................