A largely attended Com. Linganna Memorial Meeting was held on August 13, 2019 in SundariahVignan Kendram in Hyderabad. Party activists from different districts of Telengana, leaders of other communist revolutionary organizations, democratic organizations and individuals attended the meeting. Hall was packed by the participants. A photo of revolutionary Martyr Com. Linganna was garlanded by the assembled leaders and tributes were paid by the participants in the meeting.
On behalf of the Central Committee of the Party Memorial Meeting was addressed by Com. Sushant Jha. Others speakers in the meeting included Dr. Hargopal, Telengana State Joint Secretary of CPI(ML)-New Democracy Com. P. Ranga Rao, State Sectt. Member Com. J.V. Chalapati Rao and ex-MLA Com. G. Narasaiah. Leaders of the revolutionary organizations, CPI(ML)-Janashakti, CPI(ML)-Class Struggle and CPI(ML) led by Com. Chandram also paid their homage to martyr Linganna. Comrades of Arunodaya sang songs hailing the sacrifices of Com. Linganna and contribution made by him to the revolutionary movement particularly Godavari Valley resistance struggle and his heroic role in the tribals’ struggle to save their podu lands from the attacks by the TRS Govt. through forest officials and police. Com. K. Rangaiah presided over the meeting.
Com. Linganna brutally murdered
Com. Linganna and other activists were attacked by a very large contingent of the Greyhounds on July 31. He was injured with bullet in his leg and could not move. He was captured by the Greyhounds, brutally tortured and killed in cold blood. Injury marks on his body seen by the people bear testimony to the brutal torture inflicted on Com. Linganna. Police insisted on the immediate cremation of Com. Linganna’s body which the people refused. Police arrested a large number of activists from different villages and also State leaders of the Party including PC Secretary Com. D.V. Krishna and Joint Secy. Com. Ranga Rao.
High Court was moved on August 1 and the High Court ordered a re-post mortem to be performed by three forensic experts in Gandhi Hospital Hyderabad. Com. Linganna’s body was brought to Hyderabad and autopsy performed. But the police did not allow leaders of Party, mass organizations and democratic organizations to be present outside the Hospital. All these activists were arrested by the police. Police also did not permit Com. Linganna’s body to be taken to Party office in Hyderabad. Com. Linganna’s body was cremated late in the evening of August 1. Leaders of the Party including PC Secretary Com. D.V. Krishna, Com. Madhu and AIKMS General Secretary Com. Ashish Mital were present. A large number of people from the village and nearby areas were present to bid this fighter for the people.
People’s Heroic Protest
On July 31, when the people got the information of the attack by the large contingent of police on Com. Linganna and other comrades, a large number of people of Rolgadda and nearby villages assembled and confronted the police for attacking their beloved leaders. The large police force was chased away by the people who at that time saw the injury marks on Com. Linganna’s body. This further infuriated them. However, all police parties assembled and fired in the air to disperse the people to take control of the body of martyr Linganna. Greyhounds fired fourteen rounds as per the newspaper reports.
This militant heroic protest of the people has been noticed by the observers including newspapers. There were comments appreciating the people and the close bonds CPI(ML)-New Democracy activists had with the people. CPI(ML)-New Democracy has been fighting for the rights of the tribals and other poor forest dwellers for over the last five decades. CPI(ML)-New Democracy has been virtually the sole political organizations fighting against Govt. attack on podu lands in the region. CPI(ML)-New Democracy leaders are closely integrated with the people and have been leading struggles for their just and democratic rights.
Tribals are the real target
In killing Com. Linganna, a beloved leader of the tribals and non-tribal poor of the region, Telengana Govt. is actually targeting CPI(ML)-New Democracy leaders for their opposition to forcibly evicting tribals from the lands they are cultivating for decades and their support to tribals in their resistance to Govt. offensive. After brutally killing of Com. Linganna, the state police and police intelligence are dishing out cock and bull stories about the activities of CPI(ML)-New Democracy. One such fictitious report was published in Hyderabad edition of Times of India. All this fictitious reports are to cover up the real designs of the Govt., police and administration to teach a lesson to the tribals for resisting Govt. attempts to forcibly displace them.
Countrywide Protests
On the Call of the Central Committee of CPI(ML)-New Democracy protests were organized in all centres. In all district centres of Telengana and Andhra Pradesh, protests were organized and homage paid to Com. Linganna from August 1 onwards. Large protest meetings were held in forest villages and in all centres of Kothagudem-Bhadradri, Mehboobabad, Waragal Rual and Bhopalpalli-Jaishankar districts. Large number of people participated in these meetings. On August 10, a large meeting was held in Rolgadda village in which more than 3000 people participated. It was addressed among others by Com. Madhu, who was freed from the detention under PD Act on July 31, the very day Greyhounds brutally killed Com. Linganna in cold blood.
On August 4, a large protest demonstration was held before Telengana Bhawan in Delhi protesting against this murder and attacks on tribals. On August 8, in all districts of Punjab rallies were taken out condemning murder of Com. Lingannna and in support of resistance movement there. Such rallies were organized at Jalandhar, Nawanshahr, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Kapurtahla, Moga, Faridkot, Muktsar, Fazilka, Sangrur, Patiala and Ludhiana. Between one hundred to two hundred fifty people participated in each of these rallies. in Bihar on August 5, protest meetings were held in Sasaram and Muzaffarpur and in other districts. In UP as well, protest meetings were held in Allahabad and Bijnor districts.
AIKMS General Council which was in session on July 31 when the news of this murder by Greyhounds came, condemned this heinous killing and paid homage to revolutionary martyr Linganna.
Com. Linganna inspires the activists and the people
Com. Linganna martyrdom is a great loss to the people, revolutionary movement and the Party. It is also a great inspiration to the activists to sacrifice their all for the people and their just struggles, for the revolutionary movement. It is also a great inspiration for the people to carry forward their struggle for their land, means of livelihood, democratic rights and for a just and humane society. It is an inspiration for the Party to intensify its efforts to organize revolutionary and democratic struggles of the people and to carry forward the tasks of New Democratic Revolution in India.