Hyderabad: The Telangana Congress seems to have turned third time lucky.
In its efforts to get a ground to conduct the launch of its State Assembly elections campaign, Vijaya Bheri, after its first two requests for permission to use a ground — first time for Parade Grounds in Secunderabad to the Centre headed by the BJP, and the second time for an over 100 acre empty land in Ibrahimpatnam to the BRS-led state government — both of which were rejected, the party found support from the poor farmers of Telangana.
After the Congress was denied permission to hold its public meeting at the Parade Grounds or the Gachibowli stadium for its September 17 meeting, it finally zeroed in on private lands in Tukkuguda, with farmers from the area coming ahead voluntarily for use of their land for the public meeting to be addressed by former AICC president Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders.
One farmer, who offered his 20-acre land, is B. Venkatesh from the Torruru village of Maheshwaram mandal. “We bought the land in 1991 and used to grow basically rain fed crops like maize, pulses and groundnut on it. I offered my land to the Congress sans any monetary compensation because Sonia Gandhi, who gave us a separate Telangana State, will personally come here and address people. When we heard that the ruling BRS is hell bent on not letting the meeting happen smoothly, we were equally resolved to help."
The Congress has assured to repair and replenish the land and make it ready for cultivation again after the meeting is over, he added.
Citing that their family was peeved watching events unfold, even as the way ruling BRS was denying land and permission for the meeting, B. Panduranga Reddy, a resident of the same village, said, “The denial of land for Congress in the name of some obscure endowment department ruling irked us.
So we came forward to give our land. The Congress government headed by late Dr Y.S. Rajashekar Reddy in the past gave us all inputs, like drip irrigation and other inputs like seeds. The cost of agriculture has skyrocketed now. We consider it our privilege to be able to host Sonia amma on our land.”
We will continue our agriculture on our 14-acre land between four of my brothers after the meeting. This is our ancestral property, he said, adding it is not fair and unjustified to deny a meeting venue for Sonia Gandhi, who ensured a separate statehood for Telangana.
After the orders of our PCC president, we approached farmers and told them of our problems. They came forward to offer us the use of their lands. We measured the land of the farmers with the help of a surveyor. We will ensure the land is returned intact to the farmers after the meeting, said C. Narasimha Reddy, a Congress worker from Balapuram village of Maheshwaram mandal.
G. Janakiram, Congress state secretary from Tukkuguda, said, “After the government denied land quoting a ruling about endowment land, our fellow villagers came forward to offer their land. My own land is not around this place here, so it is not being used for the meeting.”
My land is being used for parking purposes. We are giving land without seeking any compensation. I am giving two acres of my land on which I grew jowar and maize, said G. Balaraju of Tukkuguda village.
The land being just three kilometres away from the international airport is beside the Fab city. It is approachable for those coming from Maheshwaram and other areas like Acchampet, Jadcherla, Kalwakurthy, Nagarkurnool etc.
For those coming from the Suryapet side, they can take the ORR (outer ring road), he said.
“The place has been selected as it is strategically located. The meeting area is around 100 acres. We have earmarked around 125 acres around here for parking vehicles. We are grateful to the farmers for defying the BRS and BJP and offering us their land. They gave us NOC letters, which have been submitted to the Commissioner of Police. All arrangements are happening on a war-footing to shape up the Rajiv Sthal for the meeting,” said Sankepally
Sudheer Reddy, party’s official spokesperson. PCC president A. Revanth Reddy is personally monitoring all arrangements round-the-clock, he added.
“We had applied for permission for Parade Grounds. They offered us the L.B. Nagar stadium but holding a meeting there would have created traffic problems for people. The BRS government is trying to create all sorts of problems. The government has issued a circular to three district collectors to not allow hoardings along the road,” says MLA Malreddy Ram Reddy, party in-charge of LB Nagar constituency.
“This is a pattern. They created many disturbances even during our Khammam meeting, which became a roaring success. The people came from around 150 km to make it a success. Police are stopping people four to five kms ahead of meeting venues, because not all can walk such a distance and attend,” he said.
V. Gopal ReddyV. Gopal Reddy, another farmer who owns land adjacent to the meeting venue, said, “When so many senior leaders are coming, it is natural we would welcome them.”
