After a day’s break, a group of 157 farmers from Amaravati resumed their long march at Yerrajerla on Sunday but showers delayed the commencement of the court-to-temple mahapadayatra to Tirumala by about an hour.
Drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, who had taken out a country-wide padayatra during the freedom struggle, farmers and farm workers from the hitherto capital region walked up to M. Nidamanuru village till evening on the 14th day of the 45-day march.
They got a rousing reception on entering the Kondepi Assembly segment as local farmers broke coconuts and pumpkins and offered worship to the chariot of Lord Venkateswara praying for the success of the long march, taken up to press their demand for retaining Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh.
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Activists of the Telugu Desam Party, led by Kondepi MLA Dola Balaveeranjaneya Swamy and former MLAs M. Ashok Reddy, Kandula Narayana Reddy and Ugra Narasimha Reddy, were present in full strength.
Befitting welcome
People of Kandaluru and Marlapadu laid a carpet of flowers to invite the farmers, who have walked 130 km so far braving blisters on their feet. While local farmers came in bullock carts to greet their Amaravati counterparts, Dappu artistes performed to invite them.
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Moved by the tremendous response to the march from local people, the group of farmers led by Amaravati Rajadhani Joint Action Committee Convenor Puvada Sudhakar vowed to continue their stir till the government took back its three capital policy. The march would turn out to be a ‘political waterloo’ for the ruling YSR Congress Party government, he said.
Police, who had put curbs to regulate the crowd earlier, allowed people to gather as the farmers walked from one village to another.
Women from the villagers took women farmers to their homes and offered them refreshments in the evening. Farmers from Kanduluru and Markapur donated ₹4 lakh each to their protesting farmers, Mr.Sudhakar said.