Hyderabad: The Telangana Peoples Joint Action Committee (TPJAC) has lashed out at the suspension of Arerla Vijay Kumar, a government school headmaster in Nirmal district. Vijay Kumar, known for his dedication both as an educator and a community activist, was suspended from duty on November 2, allegedly due to his involvement in protests against the establishment of an ethanol plant in the region.
TPJAC convenor Prof Hara Gopal said “Suspending a teacher who stood by the people is nothing but a shameful act of silencing those who fight for public welfare. We demand his immediate reinstatement.”
Since December 2023, residents of Dilwarpur and Gundampally villages in Nirmal district have been protesting against the establishment of an ethanol plant in their surroundings as it could adversely impact their lives and livelihoods. With support from several political leaders and assurances given in the past, the protests had temporarily withdrawn their protests. However, renewed construction efforts have triggered resurgence with over 100 villagers participating in sit-ins.
Vijay Kumar’s solidarity in these protests, especially in his role as TPJAC Chairman, reportedly irked company officials, leading to his suspension under alleged influence from corporate pressure and district authorities.
“Never once did he neglect his duties as a headmaster. He has been a beacon of public conscience, standing by the villagers even at the cost of personal distress,” said Ambat Narsingayya, TPJAC co-convenor.
The TPJAC has condemned the actions of both the company and officials. Citing an instance from October, when Kumar was served a show-cause notice by district education officials for participating in protests during school hours, the committee argued that this was a pretext to suppress his voice. The charges against him, according to them, were baseless and politically motivated.
Further fuelling their protest, an open-air rally of over 10,000 people was taken out on October 18, opposing the ethanol project. This rally reportedly led to intensified pressures from the company management and officials, culminating in Vijay Kumar’s suspension.
“This is not merely about one man’s suspension; it’s about the rights of the people that are being undermined. We cannot stand silent,” said Nakka Narayana Rao, state general secretary of the Civil Rights Organisation.
TPJAC has put forward a series of demands to the state government, urging the revocation of Vijay Kumar’s suspension, withdrawal of all charges against him and lifting of the order barring him from leaving Nirmal. Moreover, they called for a thorough review of the permissions granted for the ethanol plant and a constructive dialogue with the affected villagers.
“Instead of listening to scientists and experts cautioning against the plant’s environmental impacts, the government seems to be leaning towards corporates,” said V. Sandhya, national president of POW.
Vijay Kumar, with over three decades of service, has been deeply involved in educational and social causes, particularly in Nirmal, they claimed.
Kanneganti Ravi said, “We expected the Congress government to be different from the BRS government. Nirmal police implicated the protesting villagers in false cases, seized auto-rickshaws and forced two buses of Nirmal villagers to return from Narayanpet district when they went to visit the villages surrounding the Chittanoor ethanol factory.”
