Ex-DGP asks “Bhatrajus” to rise politically

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Former DGP Dr. J. Purnachandra Rao on Tuesday said the Bhatraju community would never achieve social justice unless it rose politically and secured a share in power. He was speaking at the “Bhatraju Public Representatives Felicitation Meeting” organised by BC Times and BC Samaaj at the Telugu University auditorium in Hyderabad. The meeting was presided over by BC Samaaj State Secretary Sangem Surya Rao, who also provided direction to the deliberations and called for political consolidation of the community.

Telangana Bhatraju Association president Chukkala Balaraju, State President Devaraju Vishnuvardhan Raju, General Secretary Pratikantham Purnachandra Raju, Ramaraju  besides several municipal councilors, corporators, sarpanches, ward members and youth leaders participated in the program. “The Velama caste and the Bhatraju caste are almost equal in population. Yet, there are 13 Velama MLAs in the Telangana Assembly today, while not even one Bhatraju MLA exists. Why this inequality?” he asked.

Drawing comparisons with other dominant castes, he said the Kamma caste, with only a slightly larger population, had produced 73 MLAs so far and currently had four legislators in the Assembly. The Reddy caste, he said, had produced 576 MLAs historically, with 40 elected in the present Assembly alone. He said the Bhatraju community had a glorious legacy in oral tradition, literature and performing arts, but remained completely marginalized in political power.

Calling upon the community to break free from the “slavery of dominant caste parties”, he urged them to adopt the Ambedkar–Kanshi Ram principle of “representation proportionate to population”. He also expressed hope that today’s elected sarpanches and ward members from the community would become tomorrow’s MLAs, MPs and Chief Ministers.