Praja Sankalpa Yatra, D​iar​y​, Day​ 44: ​Crowning Irony: ​Chandrababu ​Waxing Eloquent On Women’s Empowerment 

Nambulapoolakunta, Anantapur District:

The day ​I first thought of Praja Sankalpa Yatra​, I had decided to take this up as a yagna, a sacred, uninterrupted ritual. I had decided to remain among my people come what may. I wanted to celebrate even ​my ​birthday and festive occasions amid the people. But, every Friday, I am forced to break the yatra as the courts did not exempt me from personal appearance in cases. Though it ​is a heart​-wrenching moment to pull oneself away from people​, it is unfortunately unavoidable.

Every year, I celebrate Christmas by offering special prayers along with family members, friends and relatives in Pulivendula. But since I am on my yatra, I could not go to Pulivendula this time around. Though I could not do that, this was a special Christmas as my family members came down to pray with me here.

Today was a particularly cold day and ​it was a bit nippy when I began my yatra. But, by that time, a large number of people, including women, were waiting for me eagerly. I had spent two days in Gandlapenta and a large number of women narrated their tales of woe. A majority of the problems they recounted pertained to DWCRA groups. Boyakonda Gangamma Group of Katarupalli, Santhi Group of Toopalli, Gandhiji Group and Anantalakshmi group of Mallameedapalli have been declared defaulters as Chandrababu ​Naidu ​reneged on his promise of a DWCRA loan waiver. Not one DWCRA group had to bear the stigma of being a defaulter before 2014.​ ​All these groups in this mandal were rated among the best. They were role models for others to emulate. But now, the list of DWCRA loan defaulters is endless. This is indicative of the pitiful condition of the DWCRA groups in the state.

On the request of women, I attended a women’s conference in Dhaniyani Cheruvu. The women there had a long litany of complaints that spoke of betrayal, neglect and stabbing in the back by the government and its slew of false promises.

​While one woman recounted the tale of how her family was in dire straits believing in the loan waiver promise doled out by Chandrababu​, another told me that she is unable to send her children to schools as she is mired in debts for believing in Chandrababu’s false promises. Every wom​a​n had a moving tale of sorrow to narrate.

During my father’s regime, these DWCRA groups won accolades nationally and on global ​​fora. They were beacons of hope and aspiration. They won praises from no less a person than the then US President George Bush himself. Time was when the state governments from across the country invited them to inspire and motivate the women of their respective states. There were research studies on their success stories. Awards and ​a host of ​rewards were showered on them. But today, they present a picture of neglect, despair and demoralization. Is the government of the day blind to the plight of our sisters from the DWCRA groups? Well​,​ ​t​hose ​familiar with the incumbent chief minister and his maverick ways know that he is impervious to these travails.

Mr Chandrababu!! You boast of pioneering women’s empowerment. Here is my pointed question. Are you not aware that the number of DWCRA groups that have turned defaulters runs into lakhs? Is it not a fact that they ended up as defaulters only after you came to power? Is it not because of your false promise of DWCRA loan waiver that they have fallen into th​is debt trap? Do you still have ​the moral right to speak about women’s empowerment?