Seemingly to celebrate their electoral victory and assert their political dominance in the Telugu states, the Kamma community – a dominant caste – held a two-day global summit under the banner of the newly formed Kamma Global Federation (KGF) in Hyderabad on July 20 and 21.
The summit was held barely a month after Telugu Desam Party (TDP), a party founded by actor-politician NT Rama Rao who belonged to the Kamma community, formed the government in Andhra Pradesh after dethroning the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP government. Andhra witnessed one of the most polarised election battles essentially between two dominant caste groups – Kammas and Reddys. The TDP alliance under N Chandrababu Naidu won a landslide victory winning 164 out of the 175 Assembly seats.
The caste congregation was attended by various politicians and celebrities from different states in India like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and also from the US and other foreign countries. Participants included Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Telangana Roads & Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, former badminton player and coach Pullela Gopichand, and actors Rajasekhar and Jeevitha. Surprisingly, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP from Tamil Nadu, Kalanidhi Veerasamy, also attended the event. DMK and its ideological parent, the Dravidian Kazhagam formed by Periyar, firmly oppose the caste system.
While the speeches of the delegates asserting their superiority and likening their caste to an “institution” or “university” were ridiculed on social media by several, including the IT cells of Telangana’s opposition party, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), the event was a clear reminder of the political dominance of Kammas in the Telugu states.
Speaking at the inaugural event, Congress leader and KGF founder-president Jetti Kusuma Kumar said that the Kamma community was facing a threat in both the Telugu states until recently. “Without any reason there has been hatred spread against us. Until a month ago in the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh and until seven months ago in Telangana, there had been attacks against us. In the neighbouring state, it was a direct attack. In Telangana, we faced an indirect attack,” he said, referring to the bitter animosity between Jagan Mohan Reddy and Chandrababu Naidu, which turned into a battle of one-upmanship between the Kammas and Reddys.
Reminding the audience about these alleged threats, Kusuma Kumar urged the Kamma community to stay united.
The event also served as an opportunity for the Kamma community to openly declare that they had supported Revanth Reddy in the Telangana Assembly elections. Revanth was previously a TDP member and a close aide of Chandrababu Naidu.
The anger of Kammas against the previous BRS government in Telangana was evident in the words of TDP MLA Yarapathineni Srinivasa Rao. “When Chandrababu Naidu was arrested and a protest was held in Hyderabad, the previous government asked us to go and carry out the protests in Andhra Pradesh. Revanth Reddy had objected to it. Today, the same people who told us to go to our state and protest have been thrown out of power,” he said.
Last October, the BRS government prevented TDP supporters from protesting in Hyderabad following Chandrababu Naidu’s arrest. BRS working president KT Rama Rao had asked the Naidu loyalists not to create nuisance in Hyderabad and carry out their protest in Andhra Pradesh, earning the wrath of the Kammas.
Revanth Reddy, who was the chief guest for the event, said, “Caste is based on occupation. The name Kamma was derived from Amma (mother).” Just like the selflessness of a mother, the Kamma community also helps others in need, he claimed. Thanking public speaker Bharatheeyam Satyavani who hailed Revanth for his oratory, the CM said that he acquired the skill by reading in the NTR library.
Revanth added that he would not hesitate to credit his association with the TDP for his growth in politics. “NTR is a brand for politics and leadership. There are leaders in both the Telugu states because of the opportunities provided by NTR.” Referring to KCR, he said that those who are abusing NTR today were once working under him.