Ground Report: From development to ‘broken’ promises — the many stories of KCR’s Gajwel

Gummadi Vittal Rao, popularly known as balladeer Gaddar, wrote this song that amplified the movement for a separate Telangana state. Gaddar hailed from Tupran in Gajwel, where underdevelopment and the lives of the underprivileged around him, perhaps, helped the poet pen soulful revolutionary songs.

Chief Minister and BRS supremo K Chandrashekar Rao played a key role in the realisation of statehood for Telangana. He has represented Gajwel for the past two terms. The constituency holds much sentimental value for KCR — as he is known. He concludes his campaign trail here during every Assembly election.

Rene, a retired private bank employee who settled here after being transferred 15 years ago, gushed while telling South First that he was transferred as punishment.

“There were no roads, proper hospitals, or water back then. Now, it’s a different story. I’ve made this place my home,” Rene, who wished to be identified only by one name, now drives an auto-rickshaw in the town.

Related: In Gajwel, many contest to draw KCR’s attention to their woes 

The rise of Gajwel

At one glance, Gajwel looked well-developed. It has a ring road and cement-concrete roads connecting every corner of the segment. A railway line, avenues, and even water taps at every house are now part of the development landscape. These amenities were a distant dream before Telangana attained statehood in 2014.

Rene, pointing at the CC roads and Ring Road in Gajwel. (Bhaskar Basava/ South First)

KCR took a keen interest in the adopted villages of Yerravalli and Narasannapeta. He oversaw the construction of 2 BHK houses and rebuilt the villages. His farm at Yerravalli, a political power centre, sees him more often than he is seen in public.

Hindus and Muslims peacefully coexist, despite alleged efforts to foment trouble.

Recalling a recent incident in which a mob targeted a man from another community for urinating near a Shivaji statue, Syed Yousufuddin, Tanjamul Masjid Committee president, felt it was blown out of proportion by MLA Raghunandan Rao of the BJP, representing the neighbouring Dubbaka segment.

“Our constituency, however, has a long history of peaceful coexistence,” he told South First.

However, the case looked a bit different. The constituency has witnessed a polarisation of the dominant castes. The political class has no complaints since the dominant section decides the electoral outcome.

Related: An uneasy Gajwel stares at new communal fissures

Caste discrimination

In Thimmapur, a few kilometers from KCR’s farmhouse, Scheduled Caste (SC) members of the Madiga community live alongside the Mudiraj community, falling under the Backward Class (BC).

Four months ago, a protest erupted among the SC community as they were denied haircuts in salons, as the BC community felt uncomfortable sharing the same place with them. Additionally, the Dalits in the village were not allowed to enter the temple. Humiliated, the SC youths rose in protest.

After complaining, now the SC community members can have haircuts in shops and are allowed to enter the temple. However, the Mudiraj community members stopped visiting the salon or the temple after the Dalits were allowed entry.

A saloon under the tree in the Gajwel’s village for the SC community. (Bhaskar Basava/ South First)

“During Telangana’s annual formation day celebrations, we were serving food as part of a catering job that we have taken up. A leader pointed at us and questioned whether he should eat the food served by Dalits and asked us to leave,” Kanaka Raju from the SC community spoke about the remnants of untouchability still existing in the village.

“Later, some women from our community were also asked not to work in a nursery because some complained about eating vegetables and fruits picked by Dalits,” he further said.

“Angered by these incidents, and facing further humiliation of having a haircut under a tree, we went to a salon but were denied entry. The salon owner insisted that we get approval from the village elders first. We called 100 (emergency helpline) and held a dharna. Cases were later filed, but it’s been four months, and no charge sheet has been filed yet,” he added.

A Hanuman temple in the Gajwel’s village. (Bhaskar Basava/ South First)

Srikanth chipped in saying Dalits were still not allowed inside the upper-caste homes even if they were invited.

“They provide us water and food separately during marriages or other functions if we play drums. They avoid the temple when we enter. They even removed electricity connections and bulbs from the temple. Now we are going to the temple and the salon but they have stopped coming.”

However, this issue is not limited to this village alone. Many villagers said caste-based discrimination has become rampant recently.

“Even now, if anyone from the SC community goes to a dominant caste leader, the discrimination is evident. We can’t sit and talk, we must remove our slippers while talking,” Krishna, a photographer-turned-independent candidate, stated.

Also Read: Under-development is the issue in BJP-held Dubbaka

From landlords to tenants

In 2016, about 4,000 families in around 20 villages in Gajwel were dislocated for the construction of the Mallanna Sagar Lift Irrigation Project and Kondapochamma reservoir.

Both Mallanna Sagar lift irrigation and Kondapochamma reservoir are connected to the Kaleshwaram project. While Mallanna Sagar stores water through lift irrigation, Kondapochamma reservoir provides drinking water to Siddipet, Sangareddy, and Bhuvanagiri districts.

The 4,000 families were initially reluctant to agree to the government’s plan of acquiring their lands. However, enticed by the promises of better livelihoods and compensation for their losses, they packed up left, and the projects submerged their properties.

Villagers after being evacuated for the irrigation projects. (Supplied)

The promises included an independent house each and a plot of 250 square feet, ₹5 lakh for the unmarried, and employment opportunities for the youth in planned companies.

Additionally, compensation ranging from ₹6 to ₹11.5 lakh was promised for each acre. Interestingly, elders were promised at least four heads of cattle with a total of 200 acres for rearing them, and fishing rights.

The families, now living in Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) colonies of both Mallanna Sagar lift irrigation and Kondapochamma reservoirs, said they have been taken for a ride.

Some shed tears while recalling life in their villages and how they were forced to leave. Complaints ranged from poorly constructed houses to non-receipt of compensation, plots assigned to someone else, and even some receiving nothing.

Kotayya, a former rice mill owner and native of Vemulavada village, lost three acres of farmland and a mill to Mallanna Sagar project.

“It’s been three years, and still, the value evaluation is not done. I used to have many workers, but now I am looking for work myself. Not a single job has been provided. The government should release a list of jobs provided to the R&R villages. Educated people are going for daily-wage work,” he fumed.

Bathula Mallava, too, claimed she was not given anything. “I have not been provided a house or a single rupee. I lost 12 acres, 200 goats, and 10 cattle, my life has become worst now. We used to live in a joint family, but everything has changed,” she lamented.

The two BHKs are assigned to both the R&R and Gajwel 2 BHK scheme beneficiaries. (Bhaskar Basava/South First)

Many who have not received houses and plots stay in rented accommodations outside the R&R colonies, while some others, who cannot afford the rent, live in a temporary R&R camp for the past three years. However, those staying in temporary houses said several Gajwel town residents, too, have been allotted the same houses under the 2 BHK scheme, leading to conflicts.

Also Read: Election buzz in Chintamadaka: Villagers speak out on Chief Minister KCR

Forcefully evicted 

Not only the Mallanna Sagar R&R colony but also the Kondapochamma reservoir R&R faces a similar fate. In the Mamidyal village, 30 families from the SC community, with more than 10 acres per family, have rejected the low compensation offered. A case has been filed. It is now in the High Court.

However, the families told South First that they were forcibly evicted by the police and other authorities. They were intentionally rehabilitated in poorly maintained houses with a plan to convince and silence them, but the families have remained adamant, vowing to seek justice through the court.

Yedla Rajamma, who hails from Mamdial village, resides in a 60 sq ft house in the R&R colony. (Bhaskar Basava/South First)

“We have not received a single rupee from the government. Four people are staying under one small roof, and our kids are now adults of marriageable age. We lost three acres of farming land and our house on 250 sq ft. The sad part is that much-loved houses were destroyed in front of us,” Bollam Ragupathi told South First.

Ragupathi pointed at a neighbouring house that collapsed in the heavy rain last month. “We live in dire straits,” he stopped abruptly.

Yedla Rajamma and other women shared their grief: “We have come to this village with our grandkids, and there are no facilities. If it rains, we have nowhere to stay. Officials come here, tell that everything is progressing, and leave. But, nothing goes further. How would we live here when we have lost livelihoods too,” she asked.

Also Read: Telangana dithers between a yearning for change and fear of instability

Gajwel Assembly Constituency

Political equations

KCR won the Gajwel constituency two consecutive times. In 2014, he won with a margin of 19,391 votes, and in 2018, he defeated his nearest rival by a comfortable margin of over 58,000 votes.

For the upcoming election, the constituency has 321 polling stations, catering to a total of 2,65,636 voters. Among them, 1,31,774 are men, while 1,33,855 are women. The segment has seven third-gender voters.

However, this time, KCR is contesting in one more assembly seat, Kamareddy. Some voters are uncertain whether KCR will retain Gajwel if he wins both, as he has already won the segment twice and may consider shifting his political base to a new location.

Adding to the complexity of the electoral landscape, the BJP has fielded its strongman and former BRS minister, Eatala Rajender, in Gajwel. The battle is expected to be fierce, since the Mudiraj community (approximately 50,000 votes), to which  Eatela belongs, dominate the constituency.

The Congress has fielded Thumkunta Narsa Reddy, a former MLA who later shifted to BRS after 2014 and rejoined the grand old party in 2018.

Surprisingly, both Eatala and KCR are not personally campaigning in the constituency. Instead, their close aides are seeking votes on their behalf.

KCR’s campaign is set to end in Gajwel on 28 November. Some BRS leaders have suggested that Eatala is being kept busy to undermine his winning chances, as some senior BRS leaders are focusing more on Huzurabad, where he is contesting as the sitting MLA.

Gajwel’s votes seem to be leaning towards BRS, thanks to the renovation of the town and the availability of basic amenities. However, with independents contesting from Mallanna Sagar and Pochamma reservoir against the alleged injustice meted out to them, the Congress and BJP votes are likely to split.

The crucial factor will be the Mudiraj community’s preference. Whether they would favour the BJP and Eatala is yet to be known.