MY RESIGNATION IN PROTEST AGAINST THE ATROCIOUS RULE
- Comrade Tarimela Nagi Reddy
[ Letter to the Speaker of A . P . State Assembly explaining the reasons for his resignation to the Membership of State Assembly .]
Here I submit my resignation to my membership of the State Assembly with effect from this day , ie ., 18.11.1966 as a mark of my strong protest to the unprecedented reign of terror let loose by the State Government in an attempt to suppress the state-wide people ’ s movement in Andhra for steel plant in Vishakhapatnam as promised by the leaders of Central Govt . on many a times and for the industrialization of our State . The peaceful demonstrators were unwarrantedly fired upon . As a consequence , more than 30 people lost their lives . Thousands of people were wounded because of indiscriminate firing and lath charge . They arrested hundreds of leaders of political parties , mass organizations and Associations . They tortured several people in police lockup and the methods used for this purpose make us recollect the memories of Nizam ’ s brutalities and the methods of Razakars . Even the educational institutions , the educationists and thousands of students also came under this onslaught .
This is nothing but a continuation of anti-people and anti-democratic policies being pursued by the Congress-Governments ever since they assumed power after independence . Three and half crore people of Andhra ( then the united AP ) had developed hopes that , with independence , they would prosper socially , economically and culturally along with other parts of the country . But 19 years ’ of Congress rule has belied and dashed their hopes to
10 pieces . Our people had to wage a serious battle for a separate state .
The Governments in the State and Centre sought to drown these movements in blood . They sought to disrupt even the movements for economic development . The development remained stunted only because of Congress Governments in Centre and the State . In this context , I wish to remind you how Nandikonda project was opposed ; how the Dry Dock Factory and the Marine Diesel Engine Factory were first included in the Second Five Year Plan and later were shelved . As a consequence , our state is at the lowest level as compared to other states in our Country . The Central and State Congress Governments must take responsibility for this state of affairs .
The Andhra Pradesh Government has astonishingly failed in achieving the economic development even in the sectors where it could take decisions on its own . It did not enact Land Reform Laws in the interests of peasants and tenants . It did not distribute even the cultivable banjar land among the landless and poor peasants . It failed in controlling prices that had risen to limitless heights . On the contrary , it introduced the food Corporations through the system of intermediaries . Thereby , it became directly responsible for the hike in prices of food grains . It failed to take suitable steps to provide relief to the drought affected people .
Not only this ; It has become a shelter for corruption , nepotism and vested interests . This Government has nurtured and encouraged the anti-social forces like the black marketers , profit mongers and the tax evaders . It has thrown the democratic traditions to winds . It is trampling the civil rights under the foot . It is using the DIR , PDA and other draconian laws to suppress the democratic oppo-sition , mainly the CPI .
The landlord class , which is having its influence and exercising its dominance over the Government , is resorting to murderous attacks on the peasants and the agricultural Labour in several districts . They are using all their energies , weapons and forces fully , freely , deliberately and with no fear what so ever that they may be booked for their crimes . I had repeatedly mentioned in this house about the attacks by the gangs of landlords in Maheshwaram , Chandrukonda , Narakkapet , Katsala , Nelamarri , Solipet , Hussenabad , Thonda and Timmapet villages . Unfortunately , those who were charged with the crimes were not those who committed the crimes . All of them were the rural masses who were victims of sufferings and attacks . From this , it is clear that it is none but the landlords themselves who are dominating , running and controlling this Government .
Any Government with a sense of democracy must have immediately resigned after the recent bloodshed in the State . The hands of this Government are red with blood . Its heart is full of darkness that surpasses the wretched world . It is refusing to resign . It is trying to continue its atrocious rule . Therefore , I am resigning to express my strong protest against the continuation of this Government .
[ SARADHI , Progressive , Telugu Weekly from Anantapur , 18 -11 -1966. ] ❖
Class Struggle