Government School HM Backs Anti-ethanol Factory Protestors in Nirmal District; Gets Suspended

Hyderabad: Vijay Kumar, a government school headmaster and a public education activist, was suspended by the state education department on November 2.

People from villages like Dilawarpur and Gundampally have been protesting against an ethanol company's operations since December. Vijay Kumar was actively supporting people of Nirmal district in their ongoing struggle against the ethanol company.

Vijay Kumar played a key role in organising protests and meetings, even urging the district collector to fulfill the people’s demands. The company and the district authorities could not tolerate his activism and issued his suspension orders. In September, he was served a show-cause notice and by November he was suspended from his duties.

The move has raised concerns among the locals and the activists, who stated that this was nothing but suppressing one’s democratic rights.

"This fight is not against the government but the ethanol factory", says Kanneganti Ravi, co-convenor, TPJAC. He also stated that the people of Nirmal district are worried about the health concerns that will arise because of the factory, which is a km away from their fields and houses.

Activists, including members of the Telangana People’s Joint Action Committee (TPJAC), have condemned the suspension and asked for his immediate reinstatement, demanding that the government address the issues faced by local residents without any further delay.