When cutting down date trees became part of struggle against Nizam\'s rule

AURANGABAD: A speech by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar spurred the Dalits in the erstwhile Hyderabad state to join in the struggle to gain freedom from the Nizam's rule 76 years ago.

Their agitation took the form of cutting down nearly 25 lakh date palm trees so that the princely state was deprived of revenue, said freedom fighter Bhagwanrao Deshpande, 94, reviving memories of the struggle ahead of 'Marathwada Mukti Sangram Din' on Saturday.

People took this step even though it meant losing out on the income from the trees, Deshpande told PTI.

September 17 is celebrated as Marathwada liberation day in Maharashtra to mark the integration of the Nizam's state with India. Marathwada in central Maharashtra was part of the Hyderabad state until September 17, 1948.

"In 1946, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar came to address a session of Scheduled Castes Federation meeting organized by United Scheduled Castes Federation in Hyderabad. He said freedom is like oxygen for Dalits, and the Nizam is against freedom.

"As the Hyderabad State Congress is fighting for freedom, he asked Dalits to support it," Deshpande said.

Spurred by Ambedkar's speech, Subaiah, the head of USCF, joined the Hyderabad freedom struggle, he said.

"The Nizam used to get handsome revenue from tax on the yield of Indian date trees (date palms). So to hit his coffers, `Jungle Satyagraha' was organized," Deshpande said.

As per the Hyderabad State Congress, people, mainly Dalits, hacked down nearly 25 lakh date palm trees, he said.

This was a sacrifice because Dalits traditionally sold the fruit of date palms to traders to supplement their income, Deshpande underlined.

"But they cut down the trees without even the fear of Nizam's police and his dreaded paramilitary force Razakars," he added.