The President of India’s Secretariat has acknowledged in its official website that it has received the letter sent by Vara Prasad, a Dalit from East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh. The President’s office clarified that the complaint was under examination. It may be recalled that Vara Prasad was humiliated and tonsured right in the police station. The police officials along with the YSRCP leaders targetted him just for opposing illegal sand transportation.

Now, the Dalit victim wrote a letter to the President of India narrating his harrowing experience. Vara Prasad, belonging to Munikudali village of Sitanagaram mandal in Rajanagaram assembly segment, wrote that all the Constitutional institutions in the State had failed to do justice to him. People in power were offering money to suppress the case but they were not interested in punishing the guilty. Vara Prasad said he was thinking of choosing another way to join Naxalism to protect his dignity since the laws of the land had failed him.

The Opposition parties have accused the Jaganmohan Reddy Government of harassing and driving the Dalit youths to think of joinging the Maoist groups unable to tolerate the oppression and discrimination. It was unfortunate that tonsure victim Vara Prasad was now looking towards Naxalism instead of thinking about carving a golden future for himself. The anti-Dalit policies were the reason for driving Vara Prasad into despair and frustration. The Government is not taking any action till now against the YSRCP local leaders who had conspired against Vara Prasad. The ruling party leaders were targetting and attacking the Dalits for turning against the Government’s oppression and autocratic tendencies.

The YSRCP should tender a public apology to the Dalit community and it should at least now do justice to the tonsure victim by taking immediate action against the culprits.