Aggrieved families from Lagacherla village approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Delhi on Monday, seeking intervention against forcible land acquisition and police atrocities. The families of arrested farmers met NHRC acting Chairperson S Vijaya Bharati and in their representation
They deplored that the Congress government in Telangana was forcibly taking their lands to benefit a pharma company and detailed the horrors of police excesses in their village. They had been protesting for the last nine months against acquisition of their lands, but neither the local elected representatives nor the officials were ready to listen to their woes.
“The District Collector recently visited our village without police protection. Some youngsters, unaware of his identity, attacked him, fearing threat to their lands,” a farmer explained. This incident triggered a severe police crackdown on the village.
They explained that night, 500 policemen stormed the village, cut electricity and internet connectivity, and assaulted the families. Besides abusing them, they said the police beat them mercilessly.
“All the men were arrested, and those who escaped are in hiding. We don’t even know the whereabouts of our children and are concerned about them as the police are threatening to arrest them as well,” said another victim.
Former Minister and BRS MLC Satyavathi Rathod, who accompanied them said that women were assaulted under the cover of darkness. The government has filed illegal cases against 52 farmers. “Revanth Reddy’s brother Tirupati Reddy is threatening to take away their lands by force,” she said.
Satyavathi Rathod accused the CM Revanth Reddy of committing atrocities against tribals in his own constituency. She was furious that he had tried to take away the livelihood of those who have been living on the basis of those lands for many years. She expressed anger that Revanth Reddy’s brother was threatening the victims with the death penalty.
Former MP Maloth Kavitha accused the government of targeting tribal lands despite having abundant land previously acquired for the Pharma City project. “This Congress government, which won on tribal votes, is now tormenting the very people who supported it,” she said.
