Dalit body denied burial in Raptadu, protest erupts on road

Andhra Pradesh: Tension prevailed in Bhoginepalli village of Raptadu mandal, Andhra Pradesh, as Dalit community members were denied access to a designated burial ground, forcing them to stage a protest with the deceased’s body on the road.

Protest over denial of durial site

Members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities staged a road protest on Sunday after they were denied access to the official cemetery for performing last rites. The family of the deceased, a Dalit from Bhoginepalli, was left in distress and confusion when the **land meant for their community was found encroached upon.

Land officially allotted but illegally occupied

SC and ST JAC State President Sake Hari condemned the situation, stating that “those who grieve not knowing where to bury their dead are being suppressed by those who illegally occupy even the graveyards.”

According to Raptadu MLA Paritala Sunitha and Tahsildar Vijaya Kumari, the government had earlier allocated one acre and eight cents for burial purposes for the Mala and Madiga communities. However, the land has been illegally seized by encroachers, causing repeated issues during funerals.

Administration intervenes after protest

With no alternative, the body was kept on the road for several hours in protest. Local authorities finally intervened when Tahsildar Vijaya Kumari arrived at the scene and persuaded the family and community to conduct the burial at a nearby location. The matter drew criticism for administrative inaction and encroachment apathy.

Community leaders demand justice

Representatives from various Dalit and rights organizations participated in the protest, demanding the immediate restoration of the cemetery land and legal action against encroachers. Among those present were Nerametla Ellanna from the SC/ST Vigilance Monitoring Committee, Sugamanchi Srinivasulu of Samatha Sainik Dal, Kodavandla Naresh from the BC, SC, ST, Minority JAC, and leaders from the SC/ST Rights Forum including Vamsi Krishna, Indla Ramesh, Sakye Govardhan, and others.

They urged the government to protect Dalit burial rights and ensure reserved lands are not illegally occupied in the future.