The southern-most tip of Andhra Pradesh has taken a pioneering initiative to eradicate caste discrimination, which is expected to stamp out the caste system from the State, sooner than later.
Caste discrimination exists as long as the names of habitations indicate the dwellers’ background. For example, the words ‘Harijanawada’ and ‘Adi Andhrawada’ not only keep the burning embers of the caste system alive, but also ensure that the virtual line separating a village from its slum stays indelible. With the slogan ‘Antaranithananiki Antimayatra’, Transform India Foundation launched a project on Tuesday in five habitations in Nagari and Satyavedu constituencies in Chittoor district, both of them bordering Tamil Nadu. Coming ahead of the Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations, the initiative is touted to be a fitting tribute by the rural voluntary organisation to the champion of the downtrodden. Residents of the five villages, viz., Tadukupeta (Nagari mandal), Madhavaram (Vijayapuram mandal), Agaram (Nindra mandal), Achamanaidu Kandriga (Nagalapuram mandal) and Govardhanagiri (Pichatur mandal) woke up to a different dawn on Tuesday, when the boards indicating slums were pulled down and new ones with caste-neutral names like ‘Padmavatipuram’ installed in their place. “The place name has the power to either infuse confidence or cause inferiority complex among the dwellers. It is hence pertinent to hit the final nail on the coffin of the caste system,” observed the foundation’s chairman K. Jayachandra Naidu, who is a former MLC.
Going a step forward, Mr. Naidu invited All India Brahmin Federation (AIBF) office-bearers from the five southern States, who expressed solidarity with the cause.
