Samata Sainik Dal urges crackdown on caste elders imposing unlawful boycotts

Andhra Pradesh : Eluru District’s rising instances of caste-based boycotts have drawn widespread condemnation, with 57 Dalit families from Kolleru village facing severe social ostracism. Despite complaints, many cases remain ignored by the authorities, leading to dire consequences, including suicides and economic hardship for the affected families.

Caste boycotts on the rise

The undemocratic practice of caste-based boycotts is witnessing a disturbing increase in Eluru district, particularly in villages like Agadalalanka and Kamavarapukota. Samata Sainik Dal’s State President Bethala Sudarshanam and State Secretary Bethala Nagaraju submitted a memorandum to the District Collector and Superintendent of Police, demanding immediate action against the perpetrators.

In Kolleru’s Agadalalanka, Dalit elders and families have been forcefully removed from their communities and denied land rights. Villagers have barred them from receiving their rightful land shares, intensifying their moral and social exclusion.

Dalit family boycotted for denying land for statue

A particularly disturbing case emerged from Adamilli village, where the family of Yadlapalli Prakasham was ostracized after they denied land to set up a statue of Dalit leader Babu Jagjivanram. The village’s caste elders decreed that anyone associating with Prakasham’s family would face a fine of Rs 5,000. Even more tragically, Prakasham passed away on August 30, and his family was further isolated, as they were banned from participating in community gatherings and denied economic assistance.

Atrocities by caste elders: Financial and social strangulation

The caste elders in Eluru District have taken the law into their own hands, exploiting their power to impose heavy fines and immoral punishments on those who defy their authority. Dalit families, struggling to make a living through daily wage labour, find themselves helpless, unable to seek police intervention for every issue. The caste elders have used this power vacuum to terrorize families, driving some to suicide or death from mental anguish due to financial penalties.

Samata Sainik Dal demands action against caste persecution

Bethala Sudarshanam, speaking on behalf of the Samata Sainik Dal and the Bharatiya Buddhist Mahasabha, has called for immediate action against those responsible for these caste boycotts. He emphasized that caste-based bans from the lawless era still persist, with elders unlawfully taking justice into their own hands. Sudarshanam urged authorities to ensure that the police take appropriate steps to eradicate this social evil and protect the rights of marginalized communities.

Police urged to eradicate caste-based eviction

Samata Sainik Dal leaders have called for the police to be more vigilant and proactive in addressing these incidents of caste boycotts and evictions. The memorandum submitted by Sudarshanam and Nagaraju highlights the need for increased awareness and strict legal action to prevent further atrocities against Dalit families in the district. Without swift intervention, many fear that more families will face social and economic ruin at the hands of caste elders.

SSD condemns persistent caste discrimination

“Even after 78 years of independence, it is heartbreaking that fellow human beings from the Dalit community continue to face brutal social ostracism in India. In Andhra Pradesh, entire families are being shunned, denied basic rights, and economically strangled simply because of their caste. They are deprived of land, excluded from village gatherings, and even prevented from performing last rites for their loved ones.

This inhumane reality reflects the deep-rooted discrimination that still plagues our society, and it demands urgent action,” expressed Bethala Sudarshan, voicing his anguish over the ongoing plight of Dalits.

“Authorities have assured us that a thorough inquiry will be initiated to investigate the issue, and the perpetrators responsible for these heinous acts will be punished accordingly,” Bethala Sudarshan told War-Times.