Date:07/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/07/stories/2007080776070500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Tributes paid to victims of Tsundur massacre

Staff Reporter

TSUNDUR (GUNTUR DT.): Family members of the eight Dalits, who were massacred by a group of upper caste men 16 years ago on this day, paid rich tributes to the victims here on Monday.

They asked the State Government to initiate an appeal in the Andhra Pradesh High Court against those acquitted in the case.

A mass rally was taken out from K. Anil Kumar Stupam to Rakta Kshetram, where the bodies were finally buried in the heart of the town in August 1991 immediately after the incident. Wailing men and women appreciated the efforts of the State Government, Police and public prosecutor in getting justice through the Special Court Under SCs, STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 set up here.

“We are happy that partly justice was done in the judgment pronounced on July 31 by Special Judge Anis, but the court did not take into cognizance some evidence against few others, against whom an appeal must be made by the Police and death sentences sought against the 21,” the relatives said.

Meanwhile, A.P. Dalit Bahujan Front leaders Vinay Kumar and Bhagya Rao, who were present on the occasion, sympathised with the victims’ families and joined them in voicing their desire to get death punishment for the accused through an appeal in the High Court and promised to work towards that.

The procession went through all streets of the village and people came in large numbers to pay their homage to the eight persons Jaladi Mathaiah (40), Jaladi Imaneul (38), Jaladi Isaac (25), Mallela Subba Rao (35), A. Rajamohan (25), Sunkuru Samson (28), D. Jayaraj (30), Mundru Ramesh (21) and Mundru Parisudha Rao (35). Among the injured were Sambaiah (50), P. Jakraiah (52) and D. Dhanraj (25).

Special Correspondent from Tirupati writes: Dalit leaders who spoke at a memorial meeting held here on Monday at the local Ambedkar Bhavan wanted that the Dalit individuals and organisations throughout the country must try to sustain the same spirit of solidarity which they displayed during the trial of the sensational Tsundur carnage.

It was this spirit which made the ends of justice meet with the special court sentencing many perpetrators of the heinous crime to life imprisonment and RI in its judgement last week, the Dalit leaders said speaking at the meet arranged to mourn the death of the Tsundur victims.