Interview with OU JAC leader Pidamarti Ravi by G.Shyamala and Domala Mallesh
suneetha achyuta
S&M: Movements for Telangana are not new. They have been taking place
for a long time. What are the reasons for the formation of JAC in
Osmania University now? What were the main influences on you? Can you
please explain the background in which OU JAC got formed?
Ravi: I was born in Gaarla village of Khammam district. I have three
brothers. My family owns one acre of land. My mother educated me by
working as a daily wage labourer, picking chilli and cutting grass.
Her name is Gaavamma. I am doing Ph.D in Telugu Dept. at OU. For my
research, I am working on short stories produced in the course of
Maadiga Dandora movement. I did M.A in Telugu and History and B.Ed at
Osmania. Till my graduation, I studied at Khammam. My primary
education was in Gaarla.
Many of us finished our P.G ten years ago. But there aren’t any
employment opportunities in sight. Our primary problem is
unemployment. In front of our eyes, all the jobs in industries and
educational institutions are being grabbed by non-locals. We remain
unemployed. Then, we heard about Hyderabad being declared a free-zone.
Though this has been the prevailing situation for the past fifty
years, we thought injustice was being perpetrated again. We (the
students) thought that we should oppose this (move) strongly. If
Hyderabad becomes a free zone, all the six districts that come under
this GHMC would suffer. OU is the centre for all the 6th zone
districts. Kakatiya University is the centre for 5th zone districts.
It is in this background that the OU JAC got formed. We decided to
observe 1st November as a black day.
The Telangana movement which was at a standstill till then suddenly
revived with the announcement of KCR’s decision to go on a fast unto
death. He said that he was prepared to die for Telangana. We thought,
“Poor man, he is going to die, let us take out a rally in his support.
Anyway, we are going to benefit if Telangana becomes a reality”. So we
took out the rally successfully, despite police repression. We were
planning to go to the Arts college and then to the Martyrs’ memorial.
Half of us were arrested at the Arts College, but some of us did reach
the Martyrs’ memorial. The fact that we succeeded despite the police
opposition really enthused us. We thought, “If we work seriously, we
can get the Telangana state”. On 29th November, when KCR got arrested,
some 2000 of us, hostel students from NRS, New PG, A, B, C, D hostels
got together and were going to the police station to protest against
his arrest. The police arrested some of us and drove the others away.
So, we gathered more students, around 10,000 and planned take a rally
outside the University. Once we reached the NCC gate, we were lathi-
charged. After that, the students got more united.
We felt that we needed to convey our feelings to the government and
sat on relay hunger strike. Before I go any further, let me make
something clear. All the student unions in OU are headed by S.Cs.
Because, in the last ten years, whether it is the movements for (SC)
categorization or movements against it, SCs have come to assume
leadership of all the unions. Before the formation of JAC for
Telangana, all the Dalit unions formed a JAC to demand a hike in
scholarship for students. Perhaps that served as the inspiration for
this JAC. After that, for Telangana, we thought we should widen our
base and form a broad democratic front. At this juncture, lathicharge
happened. So, we wanted to intensify the movement.
Then 3rd January came. Assembly was going to start on 6th. So, we gave
a call for Chalo Assembly for 10th. Now, all the political parties
have changed their stance, but at that point, every party was asking
for a resolution in the AP Assembly. We also asked every party –
Congress, TDP, PRP, including MIM, caste associations and peoples’
organizations to pass a resolution in the assembly. We demanded that
the peoples’ organizations also join us in demanding this resolution
in the assembly. We also met KCR. We campaigned to get KCR shifted
from to Hyderabad from Khammam, saying “We will protect KCR and we
will protect the movement”. We have to mention 7th December. The
campus was filled with police. Students were beaten up. Our students
had gone to Manikeshwarnagar adjoining the University. They (basti
people) looked after us like our own mothers. They stopped the police
from beating us. Men and women opposed the police saying, “Yes, we are
the ones feeding them. Now, we will also join the movement. Who are
you to beat us?”. A small battle ensued.
During the Manikeshwarnagar incident CNN and BBC came, as well as
Central Intelligence. They reported to the Centre that students would
come to the Assembly, the government may have to begin firing, and
around 300 people may die in firing. By that time, there were
‘shooting orders’ in OU. We were getting ready to face the firing.
There was already the pressure created due to the threat of KCR’s
impending death. And peoples’ participation was evident in
Manikeshwarnagar. Centre’s statement came in this context. We were
happy. We conducted a memorial meeting for the martyrs of the
movement. But the Centre, after taking money from Andhra people, made
another statement on 23rd December. After this turnaround by the
Centre, none of the political parties gave a call for any programme.
The political JAC did not announce any programme of the political JAC
nor did they do anything, except participating in the programme that
we announced.
On 24th, our students re-started their relay hunger strike. On 25th, I
went home, when my mother came here to get me released on bail. I
stayed only for a day. I could not stay at home. On 26th I went to
Kakatiya University. My mother pleaded with me to stay at home, but I
could not. Did not feel like it. I wanted to be with the students. I
don’t know when the police would detain me again. Police have filed
many cases against us. I was in prison for 18 days. Each of 48
students was charged under 50 cases each. When they arrested us, they
showed us only 10 cases. But I know that they will pull out rest of
the cases when time comes…
S&M: What are the differences and similarities between the 1969
Telangana student movement and 2009 Telangana movement?
Ravi: Student activists of 1969 movement say, “We started the movement
but it went into the hands of the political leaders”. Now, the
movement moved from the hands of political leaders to the students.
People have reposed their faith in us. They think that the students
will bring Telangana. We feel that in future, the movement will move
into the hands of the people. We want to work as a pressure group on
the government and the political parties. Politicians only know how to
lobby, consult or discuss but don’t know how to struggle for
something. If they had begun involving people in this movement ten
years ago, Telangana would have been reality by now. It would have
come in 2004 itself. Constitutionally, within the framework of
electoral politics, Telangana could not be achieved in the last ten
years. Elections came, went. First, the movement against the free
zone.. Two, the movement after KCR started his fast unto death..
Kakatiya University and the Osmania University, in between, the entire
Telangana people have become part of the movement.
S&M: You have been in the movement from 29th November till now, for
almost 40 days. You are all students of post graduation, PhD and all
belong to Dalit and BC communities and constitute an entire generation
in your communities. All these communities are already backward in
terms of education, where children drop out in primary school itself.
Those of you, who have crossed all these hurdles, are doing your post
graduation and Ph.Ds. Don’t you think this movement is hampering your
education?
Ravi: This movement has become one of self-respect now. The loss of
education is no longer an issue. Before this, we thought we were
fighting against the discrimination in employment in Telangana. Now,
the situation has changed. It is for Telangana. It has turned into
that of self-respect. Now, we won’t take any ministry that they offer,
even that of deputy CM. Let them take up all those posts and give us
Telangana. Let us draw boundaries now.
S&M: What kind of help do you get from the political parties?
Ravi: If they struggle for Telangana that itself is a great help to
us.
S&M: Now, the movement is centered on the students. The people have
faith in you. Is there a possibility of distracting you, targeting you
so that the movement gets sidelined?
Ravi: Right now, such a situation does not exist in Telangana. Even if
it comes up, individuals may stop. But the movement will go on. The
movement is not even in the hands of a few students now. Almost all
the students are there in the movement. On the other hand, people are
also equally involved. How many can be bought? If a few hundreds are
bought over, rest will become leaders. We keep telling the students,
“If we get arrested or get shot, you will have to lead the movement”.
Even if the leaders betray the movement, others students will become
leaders. There is no question of the movement stopping in the near
future. It will continue till the Telangana state is achieved.
S&M: What kind of role is media playing in the movement?
Ravi: As of now, they are very cooperative. When we hold meetings or
give a call for any programme, it is the media that is ‘communicating’
it to the people. Vidyarthi Garjana, Martyrs meeting and hunger
strikes were ‘communicated’ to the people by the media. Both the
electronic and print media have done that, except two or three
channels and newspapers.
S&M: What is the kind of political dialogue that you have with the
Seemandhra students?
Ravi: Those who are arguing for unity have not cited a single reason
as to why we should stay united. We are ready to show thousands of
reasons. You (the Seemandhra students) should understand some things.
We think that all the educational and employment opportunities have
gone to Seemandhra people. We want them to demonstrate that it is not
true. They don’t have any rational answer to this question. They
simply want to continue grabbing our opportunities in future too. We
want them to know history – Fazal Ali Commission, Gentlemen’s
agreement etc. Development discourse is meaningless. Who got
developed? I think that the development that the Seemandhra leadership
is speaking has destroyed the lives of Telangana people. It has thrown
them into crisis. Samaikyavaadam (ideology of unified state) is
nothing but colonialism. How can we claim that Telangana is developed,
when it is under the colonial rule of Andhra people? They can’t invest
in US and New York and say that those places belong to them, right?
Just as you invest in Delhi, Bangalore or Madras, you can also invest
here.
Let me tell you something. All our grandparents have many stories to
tell about Nizam’s rule. If they were literate, they could have
written them too. But their lives were spent in bondate (vetti). The
people here lived in bondage and made the Nizam’s empire flourish with
their sweat, blood and money. Hundreds of people used to carry beef
for the Nizam from different corners of Hyderabad state. They used to
give the best of Mangoes to him. Bondage, slavery, sacrifice, maanyalu
(land given as gift by Nizam) have remained as relics of that state-
building process. Telangana people have built this city with all that.
No one is ready to sacrifice this. The struggle against the Nizam took
place for liberation from bondage. This is also a similar struggle
against Andhra colonialism. In my view, if the formation of Telangana
is delayed, the situation may escalate into that of a civil war. There
will be a Tsunami if the central government issues a statement against
Telangana. Now, the people will come to the forefront, not the
students. Someone has to put an end to this 50 year old saga. People
will put an end to it. From political parties to students and from
students to people, the movement has extended.
S&M: What is your future programme?
Ravi: Today we gave a call for Telangana Vidyarthi Mahapaadayatra. It
will start on 18th January and will conclude on 7th February at
Kakatiya University with a public meeting. Two groups of students have
started their yatra for ten districts of Telangana. One group will
tour five districts – starting from Rangareddy to Mahboobnagar,
Nalgonda and will reach Warangal via Khammam. The second group will go
through Medak, Nizamabad, Adilabad and reach Warangal via Karimnagar.
Our major demand in the 7th meeting will be to introduce a bill for a
separate Telangana in the Parliament. All the 120 MLAs should resign
and join the movement. Every political representative from Panchayat
member to the Parliament member should resign and join. We believe
that we should create a constitutional crisis and bring Telangana. We
won’t join the political JAC on all issues. They constitute one camp
and we, another. Our struggle is to bring pressure on the Centre. That
is why we are doing this Paadayatra.
S&M: OU JAC is leading such a big struggle. What kind of role do the
students of corporate colleges have in this?
Ravi: None. We (those who are participating) are all from Dalit and BC
families in rural areas. We know what is happening in our areas, the
injustice being done and the pain of unemployment. We have the
necessary social background to understand what Andhra people have
done. Here (in Hyderabad), all the corporate schools and colleges work
for globalization. Those Telangana people, born in Hyderabad and who
study in corporate colleges aim at going to US for their MBA etc. but
do not think of preventing or fighting the injustice being perpetrated
in this region. It is only the students from rural areas and low
castes who want to fight this terrible injustice. We are too conscious
of the loss that we have suffered in our lives. Many of us have
crossed 30 (years of age) but there are no jobs or marriages in sight.
This is one of the reasons for our involvement in the movement. We are
ready to go prison or even die. Haven’t many people died in all these
years? They died (even) while living with Seemandhra people. Still
they (the Seemandhra people) keep saying, ‘live with us’. Why do they
need a movement?
S&M: What kind of support does the student JAC get from outside?
Ravi: First, the people of Manikeswarnagar basti fed us with motherly
affection. Professors gave a lot of support. Their wives said that
they will look after us and feed us. Mothers of students joined us in
relay hunger strike. My entire village is happy with my involvement in
the movement and my presence in the media. After my arrest, when I
visited my village, 500 people came to the railway station to welcome
me. I am from the Maadiga caste. But people of all castes came to
greet me. In (the future) Telangana state, Dalits should get social,
economic and political justice. We have to make our efforts from now
on. That is why Dalit students have taken up leadership. (I feel) our
leadership is being sought after by people of other castes too.
Translated from Telugu by A.Suneetha
Geetha V
Thanks for inviting me to join the group.
Geetha
What is the problem of women’s freedom? It seems to me to be this: how to arrange the world so that women can be human beings, with a chance to exercise their infinitely varied gifts in infinitely varied ways, instead of being destined by the accident of their sex to one field of activity—housework and child-raising. And second, if and when they choose housework and child-raising to have that occupation recognized by the world as work, requiring a definite economic reward and not merely entitling the performer to be dependent on some man.
- Crystal Eastman