Sardar Sarvai Papanna Goud was a remarkable and fearless hero who, despite being born into a humble toddy-tapper family, struck fear into the Mughal rulers and became a ray of hope for the Bahujan people: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar
KARIMNAGAR: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar paid rich tributes to Sardar Sarvai Papanna, describing him as a “son of the Bahujan community who hoisted the flag on Golconda Fort.” After garlanding Papanna’s statue on the outskirts of Karimnagar city on Sunday, the minister praised him as a brave warrior who shook the Mughal Empire during his time.
Speaking on the occasion, Bandi Sanjay said that Sardar Sarvai Papanna Goud was a remarkable and fearless hero who, despite being born into a humble toddy-tapper family, struck fear into the Mughal rulers and became a ray of hope for the Bahujan people.
He recalled that Papanna was a saviour of the poor and downtrodden, risking his life to establish an equal society. “He was a lion who defeated the Mughals and hoisted his flag on the Golconda Fort,” the minister said.
Bandi Sanjay also narrated a famous story about Papanna, who once told his mother that he would never climb a toddy tree and that his only goal in life was to hoist the flag on Golconda Fort—a dream he fulfilled after defeating the Mughals.
Though not a theorist or from a royal family, Papanna rose against the oppression of Mughal rulers and the exploitation by local landlords and zamindars. With immense courage, he began a rebellion single-handedly, gradually gathering oppressed people from all communities to form an army of 12,000 soldiers. Using guerrilla warfare, he established his rule from his capital at Khilashapur.
The minister said it was unfortunate that Sardar Sarvai Papanna, a contemporary of Chhatrapati Shivaji, has not been accorded the same recognition in history. He urged people to remember Papanna’s legacy and his sacrifices for the oppressed.
