NTR still alive for them

Gurthedu (East Godavari district): Tribals living in the deep, interior areas of East Godavari, who are almost three decades behind the development of rest of the world, still believe that N.T. Rama Rao is alive and he is the Chief Minister.

When this correspondent visited Gurthedu village on the polling day, he came to know of some surprising facts from the innocent tribals. Pallala Lachireddy (62) of Patakota village, which is 5 km from Gurthedu, said that he only knew NTR and Indira Gandhi and their party symbols ‘Cycle’ and ‘Hastam’. He argued that NTR was still alive and that none had told him about his death, including the village head, who also did not know about it. The tribal repeatedly asked when NTR died, how, who would be next the Chief Minister, if the party symbol was same or not and so on.

Kondla Dokkamma (50) said that she don’t know Chandrababu or local MLA Babu Ramesh of Valmiki tribe or MP Midiyam Babu Rao. When she was asked about Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi, she said that she saw one movie of Chiru. She said that she went to Rampachodavaram three or four times in last 10 years.

NTR gave them land

Katchela Samaiah (46) explained the reason why NTR was still in the hearts of the interior tribals. He said the credit would go to one of the NTR’s populist scheme “Telugu Magani Grameena Samaradhana”, under which the tribals, for the first time, got three to five acres of land even in interior forest areas to grow cashew, mango and do ‘podu’ cultivation.

After seven years, the tribals got triple benefit. First time the had seen such a huge money in their hands.

Gurthedu is the place from where seven IAS officers were kidnapped by naxalites in 1987. Subsequently, Maoists got a stronghold in the area from Gurthedu to Maredumilli till 2007.

Power supply, roads and bridges were not there till 2004. Encounter between the Maoists and police were a regular feature till 2008 December.

But, the tribals undeterred by the boycott call from Maoists this time also, cast their votes and the polling recorded in this area touched 60 per cent.