Bairanpalle stands witness to gory past

Bairanpalle (Siddipet): Not yet completely effaced by time, the proud Bairanpalle Buruju stands tall as witness to the massacre in which victorious villagers lost their lives.

It was exactly 69 years ago on this day and weeks before the Indian annexation of Princely State of Hyderabad, that the Razakars, a private militia organised by Kasim Razvi to support the Nizam rule, went on a rampage slaughtering more than 100 villagers to avenge their defeat at the hands of this tiny but tough Bairanpalle.

A peek into the history reveals that the little known Bairanpalle village, around 100 km north of Hyderabad, had always remained a tough nut to crack for the Razakars as the villagers not only defied the local fiefdom but also showed bravado to fight against the might of the Nizam’s military. Such was the spirit of the people in the region even after a year into the Indian Independence.

The youths of Dhoolmitta, Lingapur and Kutigal villagers formed a protection force with Bairanpalle as their headquarters. Soon the force became an eyesore for the Razakars. In retaliation, around 50 Razakars tried to attack Bairanpalle villagers in May 1948, but failed to succeed. Sometime later, they carried another attack but in vain. Beaten twice, the Razakars were third time lucky on August 27, 1948, when they waylaid and attacked the villagers.

The Razakars, supported by the Nizam’s armed army, pounced over the village in the wee hours of that ill-fated day. First, they snapped the wings of intelligence system protecting the village. Later they swooped down on the village, opening fire indiscriminately against the people.

Before the village protection force stationed on the Buruju got alerted, several people fell to the bullets of the Razakars. The brutal army, besides molesting several women, got them stripped and later forced them to play Bathukamma around the bodies of the villagers. The Razakars also ransacked many villages after the massacre.

It may be mentioned here that close on the heels of the massacre, the five-day ‘Operation Polo’, also known as Police Action, which began on September 13, brought the curtains down on the Nizam’s rule on September 17.

Alas! The government, which had promised to construct a compound wall around the Buruju and Smriti Vanam for the martyrs to develop the village into a tourism spot, has not taken any measure till date.

The locals, who mourned the death of their ancestors who had laid their lives for the village, on Sunday urged the government to develop the historical Buruju that saved many lives during the armed struggle against feudal lords. Although a few of the survivors of that massacre are alive, they are not in position to vividly recall that nightmarish incident.

Speaking to The Hans India, the Bairanpalle Sarpanch B Raja Mallaiah said: “We have sent proposals to the government to identify the Buruju as a tourism spot and develop it.”

By Adepu Mahender