Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad   

Police urged to allow statues of two revolutionary leaders

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD July 14. The Vempatapu Satyam-Aadibatla Kailasam Memorial Committee has demanded that the State Government direct the Vizianagaram police to allow building the statues of the erstwhile revolutionary leaders -- Vempatapu Satyam and Adibatla Kailasam in Gumma village of Kurupam mandal.

The revolutionaries, both central committee members, were allegedly shot dead by the police in July 10, 1970. Every year a commemorative meeting is said to be held and this year it was decided to build their statues, a community hall and a library building which was being opposed by the local police.

At a press conference here on Monday, the committee president, V.Bharathip and A.P. Civil Liberties Committee leaders Laxman, M.T. Khan, and others while denouncing the denial of permission by the police said it went against the basic principles of the Constitution. The district police had even defied the A.P. High Court which directed them to take "positive action'', they said.

``The constructions are almost complete but when we applied for police permission to hold a public meeting it was refused on the premise that it would cause a law and order problem. We were even warned that the statues would be demolished,'' charged Mrs. Bharathi, daughter of Satyam.

The civil liberties leaders said the police were either indulging in spreading falsehood or were ignorant of the communist movement as the deceased were never part of the People's War movement as was being alleged. ''The PWG came into existence only much later,'' they pointed out.

The police cannot deny permission fearing a breach of peace as it was their job to maintain law and order. "Who are they to stifle the democratic right of the people to construct statues, build community halls or a library that too in a private land,'' they asked.

Mrs. Bharathi claimed that Rs.2 lakhs was collected voluntarily by villagers and the construction work was complete through `Shramdan'. "The PWG has nothing to do with the memorials. If the police feel there were extortions they are free to investigate and take action,'' she said.

When the Government can build statues of political leaders and the police can construct martyr memorials why deny the same to a daughter, they sought to know. The APCLC leaders urged the Government to reign in the police as they were being ''reckless'' in their actions as in ''policing even the dead''.

The committee and the APCLC are planning to move the High Court once again in this matter.

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