‘Madiga Dandora’ Pepped Up MRPS Movement

Hyderabad: The agitation by Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS), which started about 30 years back, demanding categorization of SC reservation, reached each and every habitat of Madigas in villages, bastis and vaadas with ‘Dandora’, a traditional public announcement by dalits through ‘dappu’ (drum) beat.

The Madiga Dandora had become part of the state’s history in these three decades. It was more pronounced during Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

The word ‘madiga’, which was associated with social stigma, was used as a powerful social empowerment tool and used by the community with the word proudly attached to the name of every member.

Manda Krishna Madiga steered the agitation after founding MRPS in Edumudi village of Naguluppudu Mandal in Prakasam district along with 13 other madiga youth. The madiga’s dandora movement evoked tremendous response from the community members in a short span as it raised a voice against the exploitation they were subject to for ages and discrimination in reservations. It penetrated into the rural madiga wadas from where they mobilized substantial support for dandora rallies and meetings.

Following the success of its first public meeting in Ongole on May 31, 1995, which was led by former minister T.N. Sadalakshmi, the inaugural state-level ‘Chalo Hyderabad’ meeting was held on March 2, 1996, to an overwhelming response. It drew lakhs of people to the Nizam College grounds venue. The struggle intensified with the `Madigala atma gourava pradarsana’ on March 25, 1996, and ‘Chalo Assembly’ programme on September 2, 1996.

With the SC voters by and large pledging loyalty to the Congress, N. Chandrababu Naidu, who took over the reins of the state in 1995, extended tacit support to classification, thanks to the idea of his close confidant and present Station Ghanpur MLA Kadiyam Srihari that the party could muster the support of a dominant section of madigas.

"There was so much uproar and agitations were organised to remove me from the cabinet. But, we stood by the madigas," Srihari told Deccan Chronicle in the Assembly lobbies here on Thursday.

After Manda Krishna Madiga took out a `Madiga maha padayatra’ from Naravari palle in Chittoor district to Naidu’s official residence in Hyderabad, the TDP government issued orders categorizing SC reservations into ABCD to extend benefits in education and employment sectors, after Dandora leaders threatened not to disperse from the capital until the government concedes their demand. However, the GO for classification of SC reservation was suspended by the AP High Court after it was challenged by Mala Mahanadu, led by P.V. Rao.

Krishna Madiga, who besieged the Chief Minister’s residence in 2007, was arrested and sent to Gandhi Hospital. However, after he was brought to his residence in Seethaphalmandi, Krishna Madiga launched a fast-unto-death in May 2007.

When the movement took a violent turn, former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy urged the central government to appoint a commission to look into this issue.

Krishna Madiga withdrew his fast after the panel, led by Justice Usha Mehra, toured the entire state to study the issue. The fast-unto-death and protests were resumed when the government failed to make any headway after the commission filed its report.

In the following years, many political parties supported the cause of MRPS. The political patronisation took an interesting turn before the recent Assembly elections in the state.

The Madigas, who either supported the Congress or the BRS in Telangana, tilted towards the BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly announced his support for their cause, leading to a change of heart towards the BJP.