Angry ryots ask panel members to leave village

GUNTUR: In an open revolt, farmers in Rayapudi village took on the capital land pooling committee on Saturday and curtly told them to leave the village. In a sarcastic attack on chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the farmers also made it clear that they do not want any 'Singapore' in their green fields.
"The chief minister is promising to bring Singapore and Malaysia here.We are proud to be what we are. We do not want to be Singaporeans or Malaysians. We produce 47 varieties of crops while Singapore does not produce even one," local leader Harendra said.
Another farmer, Seshagiri Rao, criticised the government for "taking them for granted" even before consulting them. "Our children are working in multinational companies in many developed countries. Do you think we are fools to dream about Singapore and part with lands?" he asked.
He added that farmers do not want to give up their land as they want to remain farmers and not become real estate brokers.The farmers unanimously refused to told the panel that they are not going to part with their lands for the capital city.
"There is no need for a public hearing here. We are clear in our thought. We do not want to give our lands for Singapore or Malaysia," farmers told Tadikonda MLA T Sravan Kumar.
Earlier, tension prevailed in the village as Sravan Kumar's followers brought along some TDP workers, who clashed with the farmers when they took on the legislator. Enraged over the attack, the local farmers broke the chairs and removed the tents erected for the public hearing. They also staged a road blockade on the Tulluru-Vijayawada road demanding that all non-locals should leave their village. They pulled up the MLA curtly telling him that it is a grama sabha and not a TDP or government meeting.
Following a heated debate, chief whip in the legislative council, Nannapaneni Rajakumari, left the place in a huff. Sensing trouble, the MLA urged the farmers to participate in the public hearing and help the government take a decision on the issue. However, the farmers insisted that they would not speak until the non-locals are shunted out of the village and TDP leaders vacated the chairs on the dais
. At one stage, the situation appeared to take a violent turn as more TDP sympathisers arrived in the village.
After an hour of pandemonium, local primary agriculture cooperative society president Mallela Harendranath Chowdary told the MLA that there was no question of parting with even an acre of land for the capital. He said the farmers had held several rounds of discussions and had unanimously resolved against participating in land pooling. When the MLA wanted Harendra to express only his personal views and not speak on behalf of others, the farmers shouted at the MLA saying that Harendra is representing them all.
"We have no political divisions in the village on the issue. We have taken a unanimous decision. If anyone wants to give his land, we have no objection," he said.