Degeneration Of Democracy Into Dictatorship Under TDP
Anandapuram, Visakhapatnam District: Today happens to be the Jayanthi of Lord Viswakarma, revered by Viswabrahmins. I bowed my head to him, prayed for the well-being and welfare of the people of the state and heard out members of this community. They told me how they were being treated with scant respect by the government. They added that goldsmiths were being victimised by the TDP government.
Inmates of the Prabhodananda Ashram in Tadipatri are gripped by fear, they told me and narrated at length how a politician and people’s representative led and instigated violence, how the police were abused, and so on.
I wondered whether this was our cherished democracy at work! Or is it the degeneration of democratic structure into dictatorship? Though many videos showing the violence and atrocities being perpetrated by leaders of the ruling party are doing the rounds, no action has been taken as yet. If such lawless leaders’ actions go unchecked, the state will descend into jungle raj.
Pruthvi, who attained international fame as a roller-skater at the age of 15, met me. I felicitated him on winning an Asia-level trophy. Others who had won the trophy last year, met me along with him. They told me that in other states, winners of the competition, had been given government jobs.
They lamented that it was unfortunate that Andhra Pradesh government was the only state government which denied these champions this employment opportunity. When we have rulers who make absurd statements that they would award the Nobel prize to winners in Olympics, what can one say!
Agriculture-based jute mills are found everywhere in parts of north Andhra and provide jobs to thousands of people. Sadly, these mills are shutting down gradually. At a time when the consumption of plastic needs to be reduced in a big way, the government needs to step up and encourage these industries, said representatives of the jute mills association. They appealed for supply of power on a subsidised tariff to these units. If these industries are increased and the use of plastic is curbed, thousands of families would benefit, apart from the environmental friendly measures taken by doing so.
Hundreds of acres of land have been acquired in Gambheeram Panchayat for setting up an IIM. There are quarries in that region which employ hundreds of people who have not been paid any compensation. They have not been shown any alternative means of livelihood and the proposed IIM has not come up either. What is the TDP government‘s accomplishment here? All they did was lay a road. They displaced hundreds of families and robbed them of their livelihood.
I have a question for the chief minister— in Denduluru, a lady Tehsildar was attacked and thrashed, in Tanuku, an SI was held captive, in Vijayawada, a transport commissioner was abused, and tourism officials were assaulted on Suryalanka Beach—these are only a few such instances. Did you reprimand any TDP leader in these cases? If you do not act against your partymen who behave in this unlawful fashion, but instead pat them on the back, won’t incidents such as the one that took place in Tadipatri, repeat themselves?
