Maddunur Incident – 1978:

• In April 1978, activists of the Peasant Union in Maddunur village assassinated Patel Narayana Rao, a landlord known for his oppressive tactics. This marked the first murder by party activists following the initiation of the peasant movement.
• Rajeshwar Rao, another significant landlord in Maddunur, owned 500 acres of land. On June 17, 1978, village agricultural laborers began striking to demand higher wages.
• On June 20, 1978, approximately 500 carts carrying people from six surrounding villages cut down teak trees on 200 acres of the landlord’s land, an event marking the onset of the Jagityal Jaitra Yatra.

Lakshettipet Incident:

• Agricultural laborers fought against contractors to raise labor rates during the Tendu leaf plucking season and to secure fair prices for the leaves.

Manthani Incident:

• Contractors deceitfully took Tendu leaves from laborers without payment. Laborers in Manthani Taluk responded by striking against both contractors and forest officials.

Jagityal Jaitra Yatra (September 8, 1978):

• Organized under the CPI (ML) banner, a large procession of peasant laborers took place in Jagityal, advocating for land ownership rights (“land should belong to the tiller”) and the abolition of feudalism.
• Approximately 35,000 poor farmers and agricultural laborers from around 150 villages participated. The event saw broad support, including student participation from local schools and colleges.

Chinnametpalli Incident (September 14, 1978):

• Farmers in Chinnametpalli held a meeting to denounce their landlord’s atrocities. During the meeting, the landlord and his son-in-law opened fire, injuring 19 farmers.

Korutla Incident (September 18, 1978):

• A bandh was organized in Korutla by the CPI (M.L) Radical Student’s Union and other associations in protest of previous firings in Metpally.

Lothunoor Incident (September 26, 1978):

• Farmers marched against landlord Jagga Rao in Lothunoor. The police responded with gunfire, resulting in the death of a farmer named Pochalu.

Paidipally Mahasabha (Warangal, October 1, 1978):

• Influenced by the Jagityal Jaitra Yatra, the agricultural laborers union of Paidipally village held a significant meeting, emphasizing similar themes of land rights and opposition to feudal practices.

Lakshettipeta Mahasabha (October 19, 1978):

• A large meeting was held by the agricultural laborers union in Lakshettipeta, Adilabad district, led by Kalyanam Venkateshwar Rao who educated farmers about their rights and the movement.

Regional Impact:

• The rising tide of activism led the then Chief Minister Chenna Reddy to request the central government to declare Siricilla and Jagityal taluks as disturbed areas on October 20, 1978. This declaration stripped farmers of their civil rights and led to severe repression of revolutionaries.