HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Monday directed the District Collector and Commissioner of Police of Nizamabad to take immediate action to stop the social boycott of petitioners A Shankar Goud and four other residents of Jakranpally village and mandal in Nizamabad district by individuals posing as the members of the Village Development Committee (VDC).
Justice B Vijayasen Reddy issued the interim direction while hearing a petition from five residents of Jakranpally village and mandal seeking the court’s protection from an unconstitutional social boycott imposed on them by the extra-constitutional body VDC at the request of nine unofficial respondents arrayed in the writ petition.
In his argument on behalf of the petitioners, counsel V Mallik told the court that the unofficial respondents were preventing the petitioners, who are members of the Goud community and who rely on toddy tapping for a living, from engaging them and instead demanded payment of Rs 10 lakh.
After the petitioners and other Goud members refused the demand made by these individuals claiming to represent the VDC to pay over the money to the committee, the VDC initiated a social boycott on the petitioners and others which began in October.
They are not only unable to continue their toddy tapping despite having a legal licence from the Excise Department, they are also unable to obtain basic essentials from other villagers. Villagers who disobey the order risk fines of between Rs 10,000 and Rs 25,000 per family.
The counsel argued that the unofficial respondents’ unlawful and unconstitutional activity in barring the petitioners from engaging in their profession and source of income violates both their fundamental rights and the Prevention of Social Disabilities Act, 1987. He emphasised the official respondents’ inactivity in handling the problem and asked the court for protection.
When the Government Pleader informed the Court that an FIR had been filed in this case, Justice Vijayasen Reddy made the observation that it is necessary for the government officials to inform all the villagers that those engaging in this type of behaviour will be dealt with strictly in order to prevent similar incidents from happening in other villages.
He recommended that the unofficial respondents may be made aware of the petitioners’ plight by public statements, and he ordered the official respondents to act right away to avert a social boycott of the petitioners. He ordered the petitioners’ attorney to serve personal notice on the unofficial respondents and set the matter for January 30, 2023.