Neerukonda Massacre
Encyclopedia
Neerukonda Massacre is a massacre that happened in Andhra Pradesh
. It happened in July 1987, in Neerukonda village in Guntur
district of Andhra Pradesh
, India
. It involved Kamma
s attacking Mala
s, the Malas being a dalit
caste.
-caste
dominated village, both in terms of population and land ownership. With about 200 families, the Kammas were the biggest caste in the village, followed by the Malas
whose households numbered around 150. Besides these two big communities there were 40 Golla
families.
Neerukonda was a dry rain-fed village. Most of the land in the village belonged to the Kammas, with half a dozen big landlords owning 50 to 100 acres. Due to the local conditions, the peasants there had long cultivated tobacco
and, to a lesser extent, paddy
. The bulk of agrarian laborers there were members of the Mala community. They worked for low wages in the tobacco and paddy fields for the Kamma peasantry. The prevailing wages for the grading of tobacco at the time were around R
s.7 and Rs. 5-8 per day for weeding and transplanting, while the minimum wage fixed for Zone I agricultural regions such as Guntur
was Rs. 13 per day (Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee, 1987).
Even these lower-than-minimum wages were reportedly not paid promptly. This forced agricultural laborers to borrow money from landlords at high rates of interest. A high prevalence of indebtedness among agricultural laborers was noted precisely on this count.
The crucial event that decisively strained relations between the landowning Kammas and the laboring Dalits, were the 1983 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections. As usual, the traditionally Indian National Congress
-supporting Dalits showed their preference for the Congress, while the Kammas overwhelmingly sided with the Telugu Desam Party
. The Kammas interpreted the Mala refusal to vote for the TDP, as they had been ordered, as a challenge to their political authority.
The TDP won in the Neerukonda constituency (and the majority in the state assembly), and the local Member of the Legislative Assembly
(MLA) was made a minister in the new government. The local Kammas, especially the youth, took great pride in their victory.
moved to Mangalagiri
and have lived in a there ever since.
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
. It happened in July 1987, in Neerukonda village in Guntur
Guntur
Guntur , is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located to the north and west of the Bay of Bengal. It is approximately to the south of the national capital, New Delhi and south east of state capital, Hyderabad. Guntur is the fourth largest city in Andhra...
district of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It involved Kamma
Kamma (caste)
Kamma or the Kammavaru is a social group that are classed as Upper Shudras is found largely in the Southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and Karnataka. The Kamma population was 795,732 in the year 1881. According to 1921 census they constituted about 4.8% of Andhra Pradesh...
s attacking Mala
Mala (caste)
Mala or Malla is a social group or caste mostly from Andhra Pradesh state of India. Mala or Malla is derived from the Sanskrit word "Malla" which means wrestler. They are one of the dominant Dalit castes of Andhra the other being Madigas.They constitute around 8.5% of the total state population...
s, the Malas being a dalit
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
caste.
Background
Neerukonda was a KammaKamma
Kamma may refer to:*Kamma , a caste or social group found largely in Southern India*The Pali and Ardhamagadhi term for karma*Bava Kamma, a traditional Jewish civil law procedure dealing largely with damages and compensation....
-caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
dominated village, both in terms of population and land ownership. With about 200 families, the Kammas were the biggest caste in the village, followed by the Malas
Malas
Malas may refer to:* Malas -- the waste products of the body in Ayurveda* Mala * malas are, in Indian religions, the three bondages which limit the soul in earthly incarnation...
whose households numbered around 150. Besides these two big communities there were 40 Golla
Golla
Golla Oy is a Finnish design company making cases and bags for portable electronic devices. The company's products are aimed at devices such as mobile phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, laptops and game consoles. One of the central aspects of these products is their unique design. Golla employs...
families.
Neerukonda was a dry rain-fed village. Most of the land in the village belonged to the Kammas, with half a dozen big landlords owning 50 to 100 acres. Due to the local conditions, the peasants there had long cultivated tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
and, to a lesser extent, paddy
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
. The bulk of agrarian laborers there were members of the Mala community. They worked for low wages in the tobacco and paddy fields for the Kamma peasantry. The prevailing wages for the grading of tobacco at the time were around R
Rupee
The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
s.7 and Rs. 5-8 per day for weeding and transplanting, while the minimum wage fixed for Zone I agricultural regions such as Guntur
Guntur
Guntur , is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located to the north and west of the Bay of Bengal. It is approximately to the south of the national capital, New Delhi and south east of state capital, Hyderabad. Guntur is the fourth largest city in Andhra...
was Rs. 13 per day (Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee, 1987).
Even these lower-than-minimum wages were reportedly not paid promptly. This forced agricultural laborers to borrow money from landlords at high rates of interest. A high prevalence of indebtedness among agricultural laborers was noted precisely on this count.
Political tensions
The deeper causes of the Kammas’ disgruntlement in Neerukonda were the laboring Mala’s acts of assertion. For instance, they set up their own candidate in the 1981 local elections and showed that they were disinclined to follow the Kammas’ political direction. This was seen as a case of lower caste disloyalty, which the Kammas were not traditionally accustomed to.The crucial event that decisively strained relations between the landowning Kammas and the laboring Dalits, were the 1983 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections. As usual, the traditionally Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
-supporting Dalits showed their preference for the Congress, while the Kammas overwhelmingly sided with the Telugu Desam Party
Telugu Desam Party
Telugu Desam Party or TDP is a regional political party in India's Andhra Pradesh state. It was founded by former Telugu film star N. T...
. The Kammas interpreted the Mala refusal to vote for the TDP, as they had been ordered, as a challenge to their political authority.
The TDP won in the Neerukonda constituency (and the majority in the state assembly), and the local Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
(MLA) was made a minister in the new government. The local Kammas, especially the youth, took great pride in their victory.
As it happened
Armed with axes, spears and sticks, hundreds of Kamma youths attacked the Malas on 15 July 1987. After the carnage, fearing the overwhelming presence of the Kammas and their violence, the MalasMalas
Malas may refer to:* Malas -- the waste products of the body in Ayurveda* Mala * malas are, in Indian religions, the three bondages which limit the soul in earthly incarnation...
moved to Mangalagiri
Mangalagiri
Mangalagiri is a town, and a mandal of Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh, India. Mangalagiri is a part of Vijayawada urban agglomeration. It is situated on the Guntur-Vijayawada road, to the south-east of Vijayawada and to the north-east of Guntur City.-History:Mangalagiri means 'The holy hill'...
and have lived in a there ever since.