Representatives of a host of Dalit and peoples organisations resolved to move the Supreme Court, while also urging the Government to move the Supreme Court on the acquittal of 21 persons accused in the Tsundur carnage by the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
At a consultation/round table conference convened by the Centre for Dalit Studies (CDS) and the Struggle Committee Against Caste Discrimination here on Thursday, over a dozen speakers spoke out their views. They said how the line, ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ was coming true as far as the victims’ families were concerned in the Tsundur incident that took place in the year 1991.
Advocate and rights activist Bojja Tarakam, who was Special Public Prosecutor in the case, recalled how evidence was gathered against 116 people in all, for perpetrating violence against the weaker sections, leaving two belonging to the Madiga and six of the Mala community dead. He regretted that only 21 of them had been tried under the provisions of Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code
Prominent among those who addressed the select gathering comprising representatives of over a dozen organisations working for the cause of Dalits and other weaker sections, were former Chief Secretary Kaki Madhava Rao, Struggle Committee’s State president Duddu Prabhakar, Chief Editor HMTV & Hans India, K. Ramachandramurthy and Director of CDS M. Anjaneyulu.
They said a State-wide campaign, apart from meetings in select cities across the country, including New Delhi were on the cards. The demand for a CBI probe into the circumstances that led to the carnage, the investigation and the subsequent legal processes including evidence-gathering and the prosecution, was also voiced.
