80 Munnuru Kapu families face boycott, VDC warned of action

NIZAMABAD: Armoor Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) V Srininivasulu on Tuesday visited Shapur village of Nandipet mandal in the wake of the reports of the alleged imposition of social boycott on 80 families of Munnuru Kapu two days ago by the Village Development Committee (VDC).

The official rushed to the village after a member of the Munnuru Kapu community lodged a complaint with District Collector C Narayana Reddy.On the directions of the Collector, the RDO, Nandipet tahsildar, Police Circle Inspector (CI) visited the village and met both groups separately at the Gram Panchayat office and sought an explanation for imposing social boycott on the community.

Two years ago, the VDC imposed a fine of Rs 1.25 lakh on the family of Gangadhar who belongs to the Munnuru Kapu caste but at that time the head of the family was in the Gulf.Recently, he returned home and lodged a complaint with the officials about the fine. On learning about it, the VDC members became angry with Munnuru Kapu caste families. Later, the VDC imposed a social boycott on them as a punishment.

The officials came to know that no one in the village was speaking to Munnuru Kapu families after imposing the boycott. They were not being hired for farm work.After learning about the matter, the officials told the VDC members that if they did not restore normalcy, they would have to face serious action. The RDO said that his team was resolving the issue through counselling and discussion. If the VDC is not ready to heed their decisions, then they would have to face action. He said that no one had the right to snatch the constitutional rights of a citizen.

Outrageous, says Mallu Ravi

Meanwhile, TPCC senior vice-president Mallu Ravi described as outrageous the social boycott of the 80 Munnuru Kapu families. In a statement, he wondered whether there was democracy in the State or the rule of a dictator if such inhuman customs were still being followed in villages.