Showdown likely in Vijayawada

Vijayawada: The raging war on Prof Kancha Ilayya’s book Komatollu Samajika Smugglerlu (Vysyas are social smugglers in Telugu) is set to boil down to a streetfight between the groups supporting and opposing him.

The rival groups chose Gymkhana grounds in the city as their battlefield and approached city police for permission to hold pro and anti-rallies on October 28.

Strikingly, Prof Ialiah has been invited as the chief guest for a rally to be organised by groups supporting him. The police, in a bid to play it safe, imposed Section 30 of the Cr.PC which prohibits meetings and processions without prior permission from the police top brass.

Besides Prof Ilaiah, revolutionary balladeer Gaddar, Jananatya Mandali activist Vimalakka, Virsam leader Kalyan Rao and leaders from Left parties and BC and Dalit organisations have been invited to address the rally.

The Arya, Vysya and Bramhin Ikya Vedika also called for a public meeting on the same premises to assail the activist- writer for allegedly creating communal strife through his writings involving Bramhins and Vysyas. Noticeably, both the groups chose to hold their programmes at 2 pm.

Y Koteswara Rao (YK), a Guntur-based lawyer from the Backward Classes, took the lead to organise a meeting in defence of Ialaiah and applied for permission from the police on October 9. Later, the organisers from the Arya, Vysya and Bramhin Ikya Vedika approached the police with a request for permission.

Siripurapu Sridhar, a spokesman from the Ikya Vedika, told The Hans India that members from the Bramhin and Arya, Vysya communities will be coming to the programme in large numbers from all over the 13 districts in the state. “We are just aiming to uphold the self-pride of Bramhins and Arya Vysyas which has come under a serious threat in the context of Prof. Ilaiah’s writings,” Sridhar said.

Dr. G Gangadhar, chairman of the BC Ikya Vedika, said at a media conference on Wednesday that it is high time all sections of society should rally behind Ialiah to defend his freedom of expression. “We may not agree with the Ilaiah’s views but the right to express his views should be defended,” he asserted.

When the police allowed Arya-Vysyas to hold demonstrations, dharnas and meetings all over the state against Professor Ilaiah, the department is expected to treat the other groups also on equal terms, he contended.

Cases have been filed against the activist professor in several police stations in both Andhra and Telangana states following complaints from his opponents. However, the Supreme Court refused to ban his book, saying gagging of the right to freedom of expression is not a healthy sign for any democracy.