Whenever there is any protest in the Amaravati villages, particularly in the last six months of the YSR Congress regime, it is only the farmers who are joining the protest, as if there are no others in these 29 villages.
The farmers, that too, those close to the TDP, are always on fire against the government, obviously for political reasons.
They held protest when Minister Botsa Satyanarayana said a committee was formed to study the feasibility of Amaravati as capital. But they remained silent when the government released Rs 780 crore towards lease amount to the farmers for the land pooling. They did not even thank the government for releasing the amount.
When Chandrababu Naidu toured some parts of the region, particularly the places of foundation stone and construction sites, the same farmers were seen on the roads greeting Naidu and blaming Jagan for neglecting Amaravati, again keeping silent on Rs 780 crore released to them by Jagan government.
Now, when Jagan announced that Amaravati would be political (legislative) capital, the same farmers are on roads and today they have called for bandh.
They speak what the TDP wants them to speak and it is known to everyone there.
But, the question is why are only these farmers found on the streets every time? Why are the agriculture labours never held any sort of protest in the last five years?
The labours have lost their living as the lands were taken by the government and there were no agriculture works. But they were never allowed to protest.
The labours were promised monthly pension of Rs 2500 as compensation for loss of work, but were paid rarely. But, they were never allowed to protest.
It is a strong feeling among the people in these villages that be it a protest or a meeting, it is only the TDP-backed farmers who have the right to be found on the streets and not others.
Even today, when they are enforcing bandh in these capital villages, any visitor can find who are they?
The placards, the banners and other display material is supplied from the TDP office. The slogans that they raise too are written in the TDP office!
Can anyone dispute?