Gone are the days when the Yadagirigutta temple authority would hire local auto rickshaws to transport milk, coconuts, flowers and daily puja material for the deity on the hillock.
Auto-rickshaw drivers now, since the day the renovated temple was inaugurated on March 28, are prohibited from plying devotees to the hill shrine, or carrying the deity’s requirements. Those who had been locals, owned the place for decades and earned their livelihood are facing the iron fist policy of the temple.
On Sunday, like the past few days, the temple town resonated with “EO down down” chants and tens of men marched half-naked in the blazing sun to protest on the loss of their livelihood. And several dozens of police personnel continued to guard the main areas and the ghat sections.
“We are 300 drivers from villages in and around Yadagirigutta depending on this occupation. Many of us have purchased the vehicles from private financiers who are now putting pressure on us for instalments. For decades we were proud calling it ‘our Gutta’, now we are outsiders,” the protesters lamented.
According to some, approaching the local legislator, top officials of the temple and the District Collector also did not help their situation. They suspect the orders were direct from Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
“CM KCR assured that we would not be affected as long as the deity resides on the hillock. We pray the Lord to change his mind and save our lives,” say the protesting leaders, begging for Mr. Rao’s mercy.
For drivers like Nani, Shankar and Venkatesh, officials have also hinted them about exploring other livelihood options, such as getting driving permits in Hyderabad, availing SC/BC corporation loans and leaving auto-rickshaw driving in Yadagirigutta for good, as the region also lacks companies and industrial establishments for alternative daily livelihoods.
Officials, requesting anonymity, observe the development was government’s focussed plan to popularise TSRTC buses. Others also point to concerns such as traffic jams and safety on the ghat sections.
Auto-rickshaw drivers, however, reject the latter issues as the temple approach has three ghat sections now compared to just one in the past.
It may also be noted that the TSRTC was charging ₹20 per devotee to the shrine till last month, and since April 1 the service was not only made free but their frequency increased with additional services.
For 48-year-old Sailu Goud, who had been an auto-rickshaw driver at Yadagirigutta for 30 years, fares have changed from ₹1 to ₹20 and newer vehicles showed improved features, but life has not changed much.
“Renovated temple gave me the hope of a better life, but soon that was replaced with fear of debts, becoming a migrant worker in Hyderabad and being booked with criminal cases if I plied rickshaw in my hometown, Yadagirigutta,” he says.
