No Dussehra for Chilpa Kunta as villagers fear clashes

Suryapet: While the entire Suryapet district was celebrating Dussehra festival on a grand scale with gaiety on Saturday, the villagers of Chilpa Kunta village of Nuthankal mandal stayed away from the celebrations fearing political clashes.

According to a villager Tulasi Ravi, people in this village have not been celebrating Dussehra for the last 30 years. He said that the CPM won the sarpanch’s post continuously for thirty years. As a part of village ritual, the sarpanch used to launch the festivities.

In 1985, CPI (ML) New Democracy candidate Chandra Reddy was elected as sarpanch. As a part of ritual, when he was about to launch the Dussehra celebrations, CPM leaders and supporters obstructed him leading to clash between supporters of the two parties.

In retaliation, villagers split into two groups and started fighting with each other and during the clashes, hundreds of villagers were wounded and few sustained severe injuries.

In next three consecutive years also, the same situation was repeated in the village which led to a ban of Dussehra in the village. In 1993, a few youngsters, with the support of local police tried to restart the Dussehra celebrations in the village, but in vain.

Since then, the villagers are celebrating only nine days of Bathukamma and keeping themselves voluntarily staying away from the celebrations to maintain peace.

On every Dussehra day, the Chilpa Kunta village looks like deserted curfew imposed village with villagers confining to their homes. Meanwhile, the new generation among the villagers are expecting the State government to intervene and ensure that the celebrations were held on a grand scale.