The solidarity committee constituted to drum up support for the displaced Dalits of Devarapalli in Prakasam district has warned of intensified protests from August 8 if the State government does not return the land taken away from the aggrieved Dalits on the pretext of reviving the water course in the village.
CPI(M) State secretary P. Madhu will lead an all-party meeting at Parchur on August 8 to decide the next course of action, according to committee convener and party district secretary P. Anjaneyulu. The displaced Dalits were getting favourable signals from the ruling TDP with its leaders promising to resolve the issue by drawing the attention of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, he told reporters here on Sunday, adding that this should culminate in the return of 22 acres of land given to 40 families in the past for undergoing family planning operations during the then Indira Gandhi regime.
“If the government fails to do so, we will level it so that the Dalits could grow crops from this kharif season,” he made it clear.
He demanded registering of cases against those who dug up the disputed piece of land under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.