HYDERABAD: After receiving flak for arresting chilli farmers for their alleged involvement in the vandalising of the Khammam mirchi yard on April 28 in the Telangana town, the state government came in for more criticism on Thursday when it brought the 10 farmers from the sub-jail to the district court, handcuffed and in chains.
While the farmers, who had spent the past 10 days in prison, were granted conditional bail and released in the evening, the state government responded to scathing criticism from rights activists, farmers’ associations and opposition parties by ordering an inquiry and suspending two police sub-inspectors.
The district police had brought the 10 farmers handcuffed, accompanied by a team of 10 policemen, including two SIs of Armed Reserve wing.On April 28, after nearly a month of protests demanding remunerative prices for red chilli, lakhs of bags of the produce had reached the Khammam Agriculture Market Yard. Traders took advantage of the situation and offered prices as low as Rs 2000 per quintal -- last year red chilli was sold for as much as Rs 14,000 per quintal. Angered, the farmers allegedly ransacked the market yard office. Khammam III Town police registered three cases, including under Section 307 (attempt to murder) and arrested 10 farmers.
Interestingly, accused number 2 in was listed as Sandra Venkata Veeraiah, the opposition TDP’s Sattupalli MLA, who had been fighting for the release of the farmers. At court, he was shown as absconding, thought present at court premises during the bail hearing. After the vandalising of the market yard office, the state government, curiously, chose to allege a political conspiracy, blaming opposition parties and “outsiders” for the attack.Meanwhile, the Centre stepped in and offered a Market Intervention Price of Rs 5,000 per quintal as well as up Rs 1,250 as reimbursement for transport and miscellaneous expenses. The TRS termed this inadequate. The price of red chilli has fallen precipitously from last year, leaving farmers in both Telugu states in despair.
Most had turned to chilli after last year’s crop went for good prices and after both state governments advising against cultivation of grow paddy and cotton.As news of Thursday’s incident news spread, farmers’ associations and opposition parties staged protests at various places in the state. Left parties burnt the state government in effigy at Khammam while opposition leaders, including Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, took strong exception to the handcuffing of farmers. “The Chief Minister (K Chandrasekhar Rao) should tender an unconditional apology to the farmers’ community of the state. It is the negligence of the state government towards the farming community which led to the attack on the market yard,” Reddy said.
Feeling the heat, government ordered an inquiry into the incident. Inspector General of Police, North Zone, Y Nagi Reddy appointed Khammam Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sai Krishna as enquiry officer. He also suspended two Armed Reserve SIs. “A Venkateswar Rao and D Punna Naik, both AR SIs who were leading the police team and were responsible for following the rules regarding use of handcuffs but failed to observe them are kept under suspension,’’ Nagi Reddy said.