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On March 6, 1999
Comrade Ramesh (alias Veeraswamy), state president of the Andhra Pradesh Radical
Students Union (APRSU) and Comrade Bhujanga Reddy (alias Praveen), state general
secretary of the APRSU were arrested at Mantralayam, A.P., by officers of the
special anti-Naxalite ‘Greyhounds’. They were brutally tortured and on the next
day they were taken to a nearby forest and shot dead at point-blank range. Their
bodies were dumped in neighbouring Mahaboobnagar district. The police gave out
the standard story ‘killed in encounter’ and quietly disposed of the bodies in
order to quash all evidence of torture.
Comrade Praveen Comrade Veeraswamy
Also arrested with
them was Com. Jairamachandran, President of the All India Revolutionary Students
Federation (AIRSF), to which the APRSU is affiliated. The three, were to attend
a meeting to make preparations for the forthcoming APRSU state conference. As he
hails from Tamil Nadu and was not an immediate part of the AP movement he was
not killed. Yet, he was intensely interrogated for two days, and only after the
murder of the other two comrades was over, he was dispatched to Tamil Nadu.
Comrade Jayaramachandran is an eye-witness to the fact that Comrades Veeraswamy
and Praveen were arrested and so could not have been killed in an ‘encounter’.
After arrest the two AP comrades were separated from Jairamchandran. That was
the last time they were seen alive. The newspapers on 8th announced that their
bodies had been found near Chennampalli area of Mahaboobnagar district.
Comrade Veeraswamy
was an M.A., M.Phil student of Central University Hyderabad. He was the only son
of a poor dalit family, hailing from Kothulanaduma village of Karimnagar
district. He had played an important role in building the movement in Hyderabad
city. Comrade Praveen had studied B.Ed. and hailed from a poor family of Vargal
village of Medak district. Upto now he is working in Anantapur district. Both
were active in the movement since 1990 and have been professional
revolutionaries since the last five years. Both had played a key role in
building APRSU after the martyrdom of APRSU general secretary, Comrade Janardhan,
in December ’98.
Such gruesome
tortures and killings have become a daily occurance under the TDP regime of
Chandrababu Naidu. In the last two decades never has the ruthlessness of the
government reached such proportions. All human rights and civil liberties is
conspicuous by its absence in AP. Emboldened by the encouragement and support of
the fascistic BJP government at the centre, the TDP has increased its offensive
in the last year.
With an active civil
liberties movement, the APCLC has brought to light a large number of such
incidents. There is no lack of evidence to convict the perpetrators of these
crimes. But, no rule of law is followed, even their own constitution if
flagrantly violated. No action is taken. On the contrary, this same Naidu, whose
hands drips with the blood of hundreds of dedicated martyrs, is praised day-in
and day-out by the media. Official human rights organisations ignore his crimes,
and the imperialists shower him with money.
Such dedicated
comrades as Veeraswamy and Praveen are a glaring contrast to the greedy,
self-seeking, unscrupulous parliamentary politicians. However the martyrdom of
such comrades will never go in vain. Loved and respected by the masses amongst
whom they work; for their simplicity, honesty and dedication to the oppressed
people and the revolutionary cause; five ...... ten.... twenty close associate
vow to take their place. The class hatred of the new recruits will be more
intense, their dedication to carry forward the cause of their beloved martyrs,
more firm. The movement grows .... not only in extent but also in depth. The
Naidus, Advanis and the system they represent will be avenged by the growing
tide of the revolutionary movement. ‘People’s March’ appeals to
all democrats to build a vast movement against the fake encounter killings of
hundreds of comrades... and bring to trial the perpetrators of these crimes.
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