HYDERABAD: In order to mount pressure on the State government to observe September 17 as Telangana Liberation Day, the BJP is planning to hold a public meeting at Nirmal town on that day.
For maximum impact, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been invited as chief guest, though his participation is yet to be confirmed. However, historians in Telangana are perplexed by the choice of venue, which they claim, has nothing do with the movement against Razakars.
The venue for the public meeting was confirmed as Veyyi Urula Marri/Veyyi Oodala Marri, which roughly translates to banyan tree of thousand hangings, in Nirmal town. This is where Ramji Gond, a tribal king, and thousand soldiers, were captured and massacred by the Nizam’s army in 1860, when the tribals had revolted against the Nizam. Speaking with Express, S Haragopal, historian and convener, Kotha Telangana Charithra Brundam, quoting from the book, Nizam-British Relations 1724-1857, said that Rohillas or Rohilla Pathans, the servants of Nana Saheb of Poonah, had fought against the British in 1860 alongside Gonds with an army of around 500 soldiers led by Ramji Gond and were defeated.
There is no historic evidence that Rohillas were hanged from the banyan tree. But tribal folklore says mentions that after Ramji’s capture along with his tribal army, many of their bodies hanged to the banyan tree. Historians also recall how Rohillas led by Turrebaz Khan (popularly known as Turrum Khan) and Moulvi Allauddin had rebelled against the British and the then Prime Minister of Hyderabad State Salar Jung I in June 1857.
They had attacked the British residence (the present Koti Women’s College). The Rohillas were defeated and both the leaders were captured. Dr MA Sreenivasan, archaeologist and historian, says the 1860 rebellion of Gonds and Rohilla Pathans was against the British empire and against the feudal reign of Afzal-Ud-Doulah, the fifth Nizam.
‘Tree of 1K hangings
The venue for the Sept 17 meeting has been confirmed as Veyyi Urula Marri/Veyyi Oodala Marri, which roughly translates to banyan tree of thousand hangings, in Nirmal