Yadavas, Toddy Workers At The Receiving End Of TDP Rule
Paata Bhimasinghi, Vizianagaram district: My Padayatra was spent in Jami Mandal spread across two constituencies, L. S. Kota and Gajapathi Nagar, today. The panchayats are also divided between these two constituencies. The history of many of the villages in these parts is intertwined with many important events in the Mahabharata.
There were large numbers of members of the Yadava community in most of the villages through which I passed today. They described the problems they were facing on a daily basis and expressed their anguish saying that insurance, medicines and other facilities are not available to sheep. They had no access to loans at all. Therefore, traditional occupation became difficult. They expressed their resentment at the prevailing state of affairs.
The village of Alamanda is famous for cattle and it is believed that during the rule of King Virat of the Mahabharata there were large herds of cattle present in this region. In fact it is said that the name of the village is rooted in this historical fact.
Today, this very same village has become a major centre from where cattle are sent to slaughter houses. Out of sheer desperation and with no other alternative, this is what the local farmers are compelled to do. For them, milk does not fetch a profitable price, agriculture has now become a burden, and with no grasslands, they are left with no other option.
Rajeswari of Godikommu village met me today. She belongs to a very poor family. Years ago, her father had deserted his family and her mother was forced to become a daily wage labourer to support them. She has no vision in one eye and can barely see with the other. She badly needs eye surgery which she cannot afford and was told that Arogyasri does not apply to her. However, with steely grit and resolve, she achieved remarkable milestones in weight-lifting and shotput. She was awarded many medals and mementos. She continued her academic pursuits at the same time and demonstrating equal determination, she completed her DIET course hoping that on finishing the course she would find a job. She was hopeful that she would finally be able to pay for her eye surgery after getting a job. But without DSE for years and without a job, her situation remains the same.
What should one say about a government which says it would conduct DSE every year and fill up vacancies, only to forget its promise? Who is at fault here? The government, or this brave young woman who fought all odds, completed her education and achieved extraordinary heights in her chosen sport.
I was deeply pained on seeing the plight of maamidi taandra or mango jelly producers, here this morning. During my father’s period, taxes were lowered for them and sugar was provided at a subsidised rate. Leave alone any subsidy, increasing taxes have made life difficult for them. If things continue on these lines, Bhimali maamidi taandra would become a part of history.
Pharmacists and lab technicians working on a contract basis met me in the evening. Though they had been working all along as per established rules and were promised regularisation of their jobs, nothing has happened on this count, they lamented. They said that they are being paid consolidated salaries, which makes the regularisation of their jobs a bleak possibility. It is futile to expect a leader who believes in privatisation of all jobs and services and who wants to downsize government employment completely, to fulfill his promises.
Toddy workers live in large numbers in the villages of Yaathapalem and Bhimasinghi and were severely affected during the Hud Hud cyclone. They felt betrayed by the non-fulfilment of the promises made to them by the Chandrababu Naidu government.
I have a question for the chief minister—the government would pay the premium for cheap insurance and members of the shepherd community would be insured for Rs.2 lakhs. Grasslands would be assigned to them for their sheep to graze in. Scrapping of belt shops for toddy workers, palm tree tax to be paid by the government, allocation of land for palm trees, among other things. Do these promises sound familiar to you? If you turn to page 22 of your election manifesto these promises can be found there. Of the 14 promises given to Yadavas and toddy workers your election manifesto, have you fulfilled at least one?
