Chundur is a mandal headquarters village, 12 kms. away far from Tenali (Guntur dt) and 60 kms from here with a population of about 6,000 of which 2,000 are Dalits, 2,500 Reddies, 500 Kapus and the rest Backward Castes. Dalits are mostly educated and followers of Dr. Ambedkar because of the AP Dalit Maha Sabha headed by Katti Padma Rao. In the Mandal elections the Dalits elected their own members defeating the Hindu candidates.
The contradictions between Hindus and Dalits sharpened with the social boycott enforced by Hindus.
Church as revolutionary centre: The Salvation Army church people gave shelter to our people. Katti Padma Rao rushed to Tenali and took control of the situation. He gave thern courage. As the AP representative of Dalit Volice. I also rushed to Tenali to share the sufferings of our brothers and sisters.
Dalit leaders Bojja Tarakam, K.G. Satya Murthy, who was expelled from the People’s War Group headed by a Reddy, and some others are leading the movement of Dalits along with Katti Padma Rao. That means Chundur has brought lot of unity among Dalits and refinement in our movement.
SC/ST/BCs observed Aug. 15 as “Black Day’ all over the State and hoisted black flags instead of the national flag and shouted slogans that “Dalits have not yet got freedom”.
Prakash Ambedkar, Ram Vilas Paswan and R. Elumalai, Madras, M. Gopinath, General Secretary of the Samata Sainik Dal, Karnataka, Bangalore, visited the camp at Chundur and met the victims.
Attack on Christian College: The Hindus called for a district bandh but it was a fallure except in Tenali, Repalle and Guntur. On Aug, 17, the bandh day the Hindus attacked three Dalit hostels of the famous Andhra Christian College, Guntur, and destroyed lots of property.
Hindus have given slogans like ‘Hang Katti Padma Rao’, ‘Hindu stand up and Save Hindu women from Dalits.” In Andhra University, Vizag, Dalit students attacked Hindu students for not observing “Black Day on Aug. 15. Attack of Hindus on Individuals, institutions are on the Increase. Our people are getting ready to hit back. Contradictions are getting sharpened.
Nazis so far in disguise (as naxalites, civil rightswalas, Gandhians) are discarding their masks and are showing their true colour. We welcome caste wars.
Meanwhile, Katti Padma Rao was arrested on Aug.19 at the Instance of upper castes including naxalites.
