Kicking up a massive storm in Andhra's Visakhapatnam, a controversial letter claimed to have been written by CPI (Maoist) party has surfaced. The letter warns of serious consequences if TDP leaders including Minister CH Ayyanna Patrudu, Ex-Minister Kidari Sravan Kumar, Paderu MLA Giddi Eshwari and other local TDP leaders, fail to condemn and stop the "state oppression”, "atrocities" and "illegal arrests" which have been allegedly unleashed on the Manyam (tribal belt) in the name of Operation Samadhan since 2017.
The letter, which has the letter head of Communist Party of India East Division Committee, is claimed to have been written by its Secretary Kialasam.
The letter states that as the AP Forest Development Corporation (APFDC) and police are unable to digest the Adivasis’ assertion and their fight against APFDC's ownership on coffee fields in the region, they are resorting to violence against them by labelling them as Maoist sympathisers.
After Adivasis from RV Nagar, Chapagadda and Siribala villages have asserted their right and ownership on the coffee fields, people from at least 30 villages have been labelled as Maoist sympathisers and constantly subjected to police brutality, the letter alleges.
Accusing the leaders of not paying heed to the pains of Adivasis, it says, "You who are born as Adivasis, you who won on Adivasis’ votes, when did you bother when Adivasis are in trouble ?" The letter states that no one bothered about six farmers from Vanchula Panchayat who were allegedly detained and tortured by police on May 1, which happened to be Labour Day.
The letter questions if the region is a democracy or a police state and if fighting for just rights is in itself a crime. The letter further states, "In this attack by the government, we suspect that you all have your own part. Despite being Adivasis, you are sheltering the looters, so we expect you to respond instantly and ensure they're released."
The letter also urges stopping of alleged "atrocities" on the people of Manyam adding, "We inform that you (TDP leaders) who are part of state violence will be responsible for further actions by the people and our party."
With the letter surfacing, it has added to tensions in the region which recently witnessed the killings of two Adivasi politicians including sitting MLA K Sarveswara Rao of Araku, whose son later became minister and resigned thereafter.
However, the Visakhapatnam district police are yet to ascertain the authenticity of the letter. Speaking to TNM, Visakhapatnam Rural SP Attada Babujee said that the matter has come to their notice and is being verified.