SRIKAKULAM: Tension prevailed at Kondavuru in Vajrapukotturu mandal on Wednesday when members of the washerman community performed the last rites of a man on the main road in the village to protest against the alleged encroachment of cremation ground allotted to them.
Raising an objection to cremation of the body of Gurju Laxmana Rao (59) at the entrance of the village, members of other communities picked up an argument with the washerman community. It was alleged that though the issue of encroachment of cremation ground of the washerman community by some village landlords was brought to the notice of revenue officials, no action was taken against them.
Angered by the ‘failure’ of revenue officials to evict encroachers from the cremation ground, the washerman community members cremated the body on the main road, which led to tension as other communities strongly opposed it.
“The cremation ground allotted to our community decades ago was encroached by the adjacent land owners. Though the landlords extended their farm land by occupying the cremation ground, no action has been taken against them. Left with no alternative, we cremated the body on the main road in the village,” said K Apparao, a community member.
Having learnt about the incident, Vajrapukotturu tahsildar Kalpavalli said a survey would be conducted in the village to identify the ‘encroached’ cremation ground land. Alternative cremation ground would be allotted to the washerman community in case of necessity, she said.