Tsundur massacre

Last updated

Tsundur Massacre
Part of Caste-related violence in India
Location Tsundur, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India
DateAugust 6, 1991 (1991-08-06)
11:00 am (IST)
TargetDalits (Mala community)
Attack type
Massacre, caste violence
WeaponsBladed weapons, possibly blunt objects
Deaths8
VictimsDalit men from the Mala community
PerpetratorsReddy caste men
AssailantsReddy men, alleged support from police
MotiveCaste-based discrimination, retaliation for Dalit assertion
InquiryAndhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee
Accused212 individuals charged in 12 separate cases
ConvictedNone (all acquitted due to lack of evidence)
VerdictSupreme Court dismissed charges due to lack of evidence
ChargesVarious charges including murder

The Tsundur Massacre refers to the killing of several Dalit people in the village of Tsundur, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India, on 6 August 1991. [1] 8 Dalits were massacred by Reddy men with the alleged help of the police. [2] [3] When a young graduate Dalit youth was beaten because his feet unintentionally touched a Reddy woman near a cinema hall, the Dalits of the village supported him. As a result, Dalits were socially boycotted by the Reddy landowners of the village. Many Dalits have lost their livelihood as they depend on the daily wages by working in the paddy fields of the Reddys. The significance of this atrocity was Dalits collectively fought to gain legal justice by invoking SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989.

Contents

Background

The village of Tsundur was locally dominated by the Reddy peasantry, who were categorized as Shudras but attained notable economic, social, and political power in Andhra following independence. [4] The Reddy community also participated in the anti-Brahmin movement to claim Kshatriya status. [4] Following this post-colonial development, on 7 July 1991, Ravi, a Dalit boy, had accidentally touched a Reddy women sitting in front of him in a cinema hall with his foot. [3] Ravi apologized immediately, but some Reddy youth roughed him up. [3] Later, Ravi was tracked down, beat up, and forced to drink brandy by some Reddy youth, and the Reddy youth brought Ravi to a police station and demanded that he be arrested for allegedly misbehaving with women while drunk. [3] A parallel incident occurred with another Dalit boy named Rajababu, who was knifed in Tsundur by a certain Krishna Reddy for allegedly grazing his body against two Reddy girls outside a cinema hall, a claim which the Dalit side contests. [3] Following these two incidents, there were a social boycott of Dalits that lasted a month, which forced them to travel to Tenali to buy basic provisions or Ongole for work. [3] The attacks on the Dalits of Tsundur were carried out to 'teach them a lesson', primarily to try to make them submissive to the local caste Hindus, such as the dominant Reddy peasantry, and comply with their position as 'untouchables'. [5] This position was challenged as Dalit families in the village sought to educate their children so they could be independent of low social status. [6] Many Dalits believed that their caste held a much higher rate of literacy on average than the local Reddy community, who were believed to not be as interested in educational attainment. [6] It is widely believed that these events lead to the massacre

Massacre

On 6 August 1991 at around 11.00 am, police forces suddenly entered the homes of Mala Dalit families, causing the Mala men to flee into the fields at the request of the local women who were worried about their safety. [3] Armed Reddy men were lying in wait. and when the Dalit men entered the fields they were hacked down and murdered. [3] Some of the victims' corpses were thrown into nearby fields while others were thrown in the river. [3] Local police were reported to have not acted at all to prevent the massacre. [7] The attack was not reported for over 24 hours until a Dalit women escaped the village and walked over 17 miles to notify the district collector in Guntur. [3] After the massacre, the remaining Dalits fled to Tenali, where they were offered refuge by the Salvation Army Church. [3]

Prosecution

212 people were charged in a total of 12 separate cases regarding the incident. 33 defendants subsequently died and the Supreme Court of India then dismissed the charges citing lack of evidence. A Division Bench comprising Justices L. Narasimha Reddy and M.S. Jaiswal turned down the verdict of trial court saying the prosecution had failed to prove the exact time of death, place of occurrence and the identity of attackers. A report by the Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee titled The Chundur Carnage August 6, 1991, was published. [8] It was reprinted in the anthology The Hunger of the Republic: Our Present in Retrospect (2021) published by Tulika Books.

Bojja Tharakam was senior public prosecutor Tsundur massacre case in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

See also

Related Research Articles

Mala is a Telugu caste from the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. They are also present in smaller numbers in the states of Karnataka and Maharashtra. They are classified as a Scheduled Caste (SC) by the Government of India. According to 2001 census data, Malas constituted 41.6 percent of the Scheduled Castes population in the then state of Andhra Pradesh, which also included the present state of Telangana.

Tenali is a city in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipality, and the headquarters of Tenali mandal and Tenali revenue division. The city is renowned for art, culture, drama, and hence, it is called Andhra Paris. It is one of the twelve urban local bodies in Andhra Pradesh Capital Region and the twelfth most populous town in the state, with a population of 199,345 as of 2011. Tenali town is also part of Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA).

Reddy is a Hindu caste predominantly found in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in South India. They are classified as a forward caste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madiga</span> Caste in South India

Madiga is a Telugu caste from southern India. They mainly live in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, with a small minority in Tamil Nadu. Madigas are historically associated with the work of tannery, leatherwork and small handicrafts. Today, most are agricultural labourers. They are categorized as a Scheduled Caste by the Government of India. Within the Madiga community, there are various sub-castes include Bindla they work mostly known to make shoes, Chindu They are nomadic performing caste, Chindus constantly travel to different villages and live with Madigas they can be identified as worshippers of Yellamma diety, Dakkali, Dakkala or Dakkali is the name of a class of mendicants who beg from Mādigas only, Mashti, a nomadic tribe with martial art skills has by and large gone unnoticed in this part of East Godavari. They are unknown to many beyond the district and deprived of any support from the authorities. They are known as ‘Mala Mashtis’, Sangaris they are known for making handicrafts and wood carving. The priestly class is known as Madiga Dasu they are associated with temple worships and have had a long history of being agricultural land owners they are also worshippers of Venkateswara or Narasimha dieties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guntur district</span> District of Andhra Pradesh, India

Guntur district is one of the twenty six districts in the Coastal Andhra region of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The administrative seat of the district is located at Guntur, the largest city of the district in terms of area and with a population of 670,073. It has a coastline of approximately 100 km (62 mi) on the right bank of Krishna River, that separates it from Krishna district and NTR district. It is bounded on the south by Bapatla district and on the west by Palnadu district. It has an area of 2,443 km2 (943 sq mi), with a population of 20,91,075, as per 2011 census of India.

Kapu is a Hindu caste primarily found in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Kapus are classified as a Forward caste, and are a community of land-owning agriculturists. Historically, they also served as military generals (Nayakas) and warriors in Hindu kingdoms such as the Vijayanagara Empire. Kapus are a dominant caste of Andhra Pradesh. They are primarily present in Coastal Andhra, with a major concentration in the Godavari-Krishna delta region. Kapus commonly use the title Naidu.

Telaga is a land-owning agrarian community primarily found in the Coastal Andhra region of India. Telaga is a subcaste of the Kapu community, with both terms often used interchangeably. They are classified as a Forward caste. Historically, they were a warrior caste known for their honour and bravery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caste-related violence in India</span>

Caste-related violence in India has occurred and continues to occur in various forms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duggirala</span> Village in Andhra Pradesh, India

Duggirala is a village in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of Duggirala mandal in Tenali revenue division. It is one of the major turmeric trading centres in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsundur</span> Village in Andhra Pradesh, India

Tsundur is a village in Bapatla district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of Tsundur mandal in Bapatla revenue division.

The Neerukonda Massacre happened in Andhra Pradesh on July 15, 1987, in Neerukonda village, inside the Guntur district of India's Andhra Pradesh state. An angry mob composed of members of the Kamma caste began attacking Dalit Malas after some of them held a wedding ceremony inside the town's upper-class areas. The rioters killed five people, one a Yadav and the remaining four Malas. Among those people killed was a 60-year old Mala elder. Many Malas fled to nearby Mangalagiri.

Kalluri Chandramouli was an Indian politician and independence activist from the state of Andhra Pradesh, South India.He held ministerial posts in three states: Madras State, Andhra State and Andhra Pradesh. Served as the Minister of Endowments and as the President of the Board of Trustees of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam. He renovated Srisailam and Bhadrachalam temples.

Manduru is a village in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Tsundur mandal of Tenali revenue division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valiveru</span> Village in Andhra Pradesh, India

Valiveru is a village in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Tsundur mandal of Tenali revenue division.

Karamchedu massacre refers to an incident that occurred in Karamchedu, Bapatla district of Andhra Pradesh on 17 July 1985, where brutality by Kamma landlords against Madigas (Dalits) resulted in the killing of six Madigas and grievous injuries to many others. Three Madiga women were raped. Hundreds of Madigas in the village were displaced from their home & killed after their houses were burnt and looted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenali mandal</span> Mandal in Andhra Pradesh, India

Tenali mandal is one of the 18 mandals in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is under the administration of Tenali revenue division, headquartered at Tenali. The mandal is located in Velanadu region, bounded by Pedakakani, Duggirala, Kollipara, Vemuru, Amruthalur, Tsundur and Chebrole mandals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chebrolu mandal</span> Mandal in Andhra Pradesh, India

Chebrolu mandal is one of the 18 mandals in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is under the administration of Tenali revenue division and the headquarters are located at Chebrolu. The mandal is bounded by Guntur, Pedakakani, Tenali, Vatticherukuru, Tsundur and Ponnur mandals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vejendla railway station</span> Railway station in Andhra Pradesh, India

Vejendla railway station is an Indian Railway station, located in Vejendla of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh. It is situated on Guntur–Tenali section and is administered by Guntur railway division of South Central Railway zone. It is classified as NSG6-category station in the division. The station is equipped with a rail yard for handling departmental Trains and track machines.

Bojja Tharakam was an Indian poet, writer, social and political activist and a human rights advocate. Tharakam was a lawyer in the Andhra Pradesh State High Court, fighting against the problems that Dalits have had to confront.

Duggirala was one of the 294 Legislative Assembly constituencies of Andhra Pradesh state in India. It was in Guntur district and was dissolved before the 2009 elections and most of its area is now in Tenali, Mangalagiri Assembly constituency and Repalle Assembly constituency.

References

  1. ↑ Berg, Dag-Erik (27 February 2020). Dynamics of Caste and Law: Dalits, Oppression and Constitutional Democracy in India. Cambridge University Press. p. 103. ISBN   978-1-108-48987-4.
  2. ↑ Chakravarti, Uma (17 September 2018). Gendering Caste: Through a Feminist Lens. SAGE Publishing India. p. 141. ISBN   978-93-81345-46-7.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Kannabiran, Vasanth; Kannabiran, Kalpana (1991). "Caste and Gender: Understanding Dynamics of Power and Violence". Economic and Political Weekly. 26 (37): 2130–2133. ISSN   0012-9976. JSTOR   41626993.
  4. 1 2 Berg 2020, p. 109.
  5. ↑ Berg 2020, p. 128.
  6. 1 2 Berg 2020, p. 134.
  7. ↑ John, Mary E.; Lalita, Ke (1995). Background Report on Gender Issues in India: Long Report. Institute of Development Studies. p. 47. ISBN   978-1-85864-166-9.
  8. ↑ Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee. "The Chundur Carnage August 6, 1991" (PDF).

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.