Gouds Face Social Boycott in Tallarampur Over Toddy Issue
Goud women barred from Rama Navami puja; dispute over toddy trees deepens community rift.
Morthad/Nizamabad: The Goud community, including women on Tuesday urged district collector Rajeev Gandhi Hanumanthu and commissioner of police P. Sai Chaitanya to take action against the Village Development Committee (VDC) in Tallarampur village which is allegedly responsible for their social boycott.
Both the VDC and the Gouds lodged complaints against each other, demanding arrest of the accused. The Gouds complained Tallarampur village priest Vishnu Sharma for not allowing Goud women to take part in Kumkumarchana on Rama Navami due to the VDC’s directives.
Tense situation lingered in Tallarampur village due to disputes between the two groups.
The Goud community paid community development fees every year to the VDC which is the umbrella organisation of all communities in the village. In Tallarampur, Gouds paid Rs 1.38 lakh last year as a community development fee. However, disputes arose between the Gouds and the VDC since October last year as the Gouds were unable to tap the palm trees (Thati chettu) for toddy.
With the current generation not showing interest in climbing palm trees, availability of palm toddy in the village has become scarce. The villagers asked the Goud community to hand over the palm trees so that they can engage other workers to tap toddy.
Gouds raised objections to this demand. As a result, the Tallarampur villagers are on ‘Kallu Harthalu’ (toddy strike) from October, 2024. With people from other villages drinking toddy in Tallarampur village, the gap between the VDC and the Gouds has widened.
On Rama Navami, Goud women tried to participate in the Kumkumarchana. But the priest refused to accept Goud women for the puja. Goud women, along with their family members, lodged a complaint with the police citing humiliation. Police registered a case against VDC chairman Bhonagir Devanna, directors Rajesh, Raju and priest Vishnu Sharma.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Tallarampur VDC chairman Bhongir Devanna said they did not socially boycott the Goud community in the village. Any officer could conduct an inquiry in the village and know the facts, he said. Gouds are visiting kirana shops and getting all services in the village, he said. During Rama Navami, VDC spent Rs 4 lakh for celebrations, the cash was collected from all communities except Gouds, he said.
“We told the Goud community to conduct their own pujas and not raise any objection,” Devanna said. “We asked them to make available palm toddy (Thati kallu) in the village, but they denied and started a false campaign against Thallarampur villagers,” he said. By making false videos, they are trying to blame the VDC on social media too, he said.
When contacted, Ramana Goud, one of the elders of the community, said VDC members ignored the ground realities and harassed the community. The villagers created hurdles during the sale of toddy to other villagers in Tallarampur, he said. New generation is not coming forward to tap toddy, he said. “How can the VDC take over our profession by engaging others,” Ramana Goud questioned.
Meanwhile, police are trying to pacify the situation in Tallarampur village. No arrests have yet been made in the social boycott cases. The district administration and the police are trying to resolve the problem.
