Telangana Observes 44th Indravelli Martyrs Memorial Day for First Time Ever

Indravelli (Adilabad): For the first time after several tribal persons were shot dead by the police in Indravelli in Adilabad district in 1981, the government officially observed the Indravelli Martyrs Memorial Day on Sunday.

After paying homage to the Indravelli martyrs along with other leaders, Minister Danasari Anasuya Seetakka said the government would constitute a committee under the ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency), Utnoor, to collect details of the Adivasis who died in the police firing, include them in the list of martyrs and extend help to their families.

The Indravelli massacre is reported to be one of worst police atrocities recorded in erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh.

On 20 April, 1981, nearly a year after CPI (ML) leader Kondapalli Seetharamaiah formed the People’s War Group (PWG), police opened fire at Gond Adivasis who were attending a protest meeting organised by the Rythu Coolie Sangham, believed to be a front for the Naxalites, for wage hike and land rights. The police had also reportedly fired at tribal persons who were attending a local market.

According to an official report, a group of 30 policemen and five officials opened fire after they were attacked by the PWG, which resulted in the death of one of their men. The number of civilian deaths, according to the official version, was 13. However, human rights groups claimed that the number of dead was between 60 and 250.

Adivasi leaders said families of the Adivasis, who died in police firing, did not reveal the information about the death of their kin as they feared that it could lead to their arrest.

Seethakka recalled that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had tendered an unconditional apology to the Adivasis for the Indravelli police firing and also the AICC issued an apology for the police firing just after the incident took place.

The minister said the state government would do justice to the Adivasis who had been cultivating the forest land for the last 20 years and issue pattas, but appealed to them to not clear the forests afresh for podu farming.

Seetakka appealed to the forest officials to maintain restraint as far as podu cultivation was concerned and not to harass the Adivasis if they had been cultivating the land for 20 years.

Responding to an appeal by Adivasi leaders for government jobs and five acres of land to the families of martyrs, Seetakka said she will take the issue to the notice of the Cabinet.

She said the state government had been trying to get an alternative mechanism to GO3, which was squashed by the Supreme Court to protect the employment opportunities of the Adivasis in the agency areas.

Mancherial MLA K. Premsagar Rao said land was the key for the livelihood of the Adivasis and for their survival and requested Seetakka to ensure the pattas were given to the podu land, which Adivasis have been cultivating for a long time.

On the occasion, three tractors and a MUV were distributed to the family members of martyrs and bank loans were given to self-help groups. Premsagar Rao announced Rs 20,000 financial aid to each Indravelli martyr's family through Kokkirala Raghupathi Rao Charitable Trust.

Khanapur MLA Vedma Bojju said the state government was committed to the empowerment of the Adivasi communities.

Adilabad MP Godam Nagesh requested the minister to ensure that Central funds were utilised properly for the welfare of the Adivasis and implement the Central schemes to the community

Adivasi leader and district Sarmedi Mesram Durgu said nearly 300 Adivasis died in the police firing on that fateful day and many of the injured died later. Some bodies were found in rivulets, forests and agricultural fields who tried to save their lives from the police firing.

Asifabad MLA Kova Laxmi, former ZP Chairman Rathod Janadhan and BRS Johnson Naik also paid rich tributes to the Indravelli martyrs. MLC Dande Vittal, GCC chairman Kotnak Tirupati, former MP Soyam Bapurao, former MLA Atram Sakku, Former Union Minister S.Venugopala Chary, DCC president Vishwa Prasad, ITDA project officer Khushboo Gupta, SP Akhil Mahajan, Additional SP Utnoor Khajal Singh and sub collector Yuvraj Marmat and senior congress leader Atram Suguna and senior Adivasi leaders Purka Bapurao, Kodapa Nagesh, Kotnak Barikrao and Thodsam Nagorao others were present.