KERALA-Science for the People

October 7, 1978 a show of force, the sarpanch-cum- landlord took out another procession with his henchmen armed with lethal weapons.
The committee's account of its visit to Gundanapalli village is significant for the light it throws on the feudal conditions which still prevail in the village in which it was possible for the powerful landlord of the village to intervene in a family dispute between a washerman and his wife and allegedly beat the washerman almost to death. The old mother of the washerman, Konduri Devayya, gave evidence before the committee. She told the committee that Devayya and his wife have been living separately for some years. Once Devayya had gone to Boyinapalli village on work and the landlord, Prabhakar Rao, allegedly sent two clihermen and got Devayya forcibly brought to his bungalow. The landlord became furious with Devayya because he refused to comply with the landlord's order to live with his wife. The landlord allegedly beat Devayya and stamped on him till he bacame unconscious. His hands and legs were tied up and Devayya was thrown first in the Panchayat office and later, for fear that he may die there, near a stream from where he was picked up by an acquaintance. The people of the neighbouring villages were enraged at the brutal behaviour of the landlord and went to Boyinapalli village, questioned the landlord and paraded him in the villages as a gesture of protest. The committee learnt that no case has been registered against the landlord for beating up Devayya, but that, on the contrary. a case had been filed against Devayya's elder brother.