Telangana Shepherds revive Siddaramaiah’s iconic protest

metro india news  I hyderabad

In a dramatic and symbolic protest, members of the Golla-Kuruma community, under the banner of the Shepherds’ Welfare Association (Gorrela Kaaparula Sankshema Sangham), stormed into Gandhi Bhavan on Monday morning, bringing along nearly 30 sheep and 5 goats, demanding rightful representation and government attention to their long-neglected issues.

This rare protest, which lasted from 7:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m, took place at the heart of the Telangana Congress headquarters, catching party leaders and staff by surprise. The protesters drew inspiration from a similar agitation led decades ago by Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, who famously marched into the Secretariat with a flock of sheep to highlight the woes of the shepherd community.

Speaking to this paper, Pochaboina Srihari Yadav, president of the Shepherds’ Welfare Association, said: “Kamareddy BC Declaration was unveiled by Siddaramaiah himself. In that spirit, we urge the Telangana Congress to implement the promised 42% BC reservations in upcoming local body elections. Our protest today is both symbolic and strategic-we want our voice heard before it’s too late.”

TPCC President MLC Mahesh Kumar Goud responded swiftly by engaging with the protestors and assuring immediate action. “Gandhi Bhavan belongs to every community. I had spoken to Animal Husbandry Minister Vakiti Srihari about restarting the sheep and goat deworming drive, and we will take your concerns on cabinet and corporation representation to the party high command," Goud said.

  The Shepherds’ Welfare Association vowed to continue peaceful agitation until tangible actions are taken, stressing that inclusive governance is essential for Telangana’s social justice goals. The community also emphasized that they had not received representation in cabinet or nominated posts since the new government took charge, unlike previous administrations.