Ponnekanti Ramesh Madiga

Ponnekanti Ramesh Madiga is the Founder of Madiga Dandora Sangam from Kolakalour, Tenali Mandal, Guntur district.

Born&Education:

He was born on 15th July 1988 to the couple Baswaiah and Samadanam. He was raised in Kolakalour village.

Ramesh obtained his Board of Secondary Education at RHS high school, situated at Kolakalour. He acquired his Diploma at SVNS Politechnical College, Khammam. Ramesh attained his Graduation with his B.Tech from Lakshya Engineering college.

A career in MRPS:

Ponnekanti Ramesh has been associated with the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti since 2010. He was an Active Member of MRPS.

A brief about MRPS:

Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti or MRPS is a not-for-profit organization formed to demand the categorization of the SC reservation quota in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states of India to ensure equitable distribution of state allocations for all the constituent Dalit castes, including the Madiga. It was formed under the leadership of Manda Krishna Madiga and Dandu Veeraiah Madiga in 1994 and is currently headed by Manda Krishna Madiga.

His active participation in Madiga Dandora Sangam brings him to promote state-level designation. In 2018, The Madiga authorities officially offered him the post of MRPS State Youth President from Andhra Pradesh.

He is always a fighter for Madiga’s rights. Ramesh played an active role in the MRPS. He made movements against the injustice done to the Madiga. He experienced a lot of struggle over their issues. To provide the Madiga castes equal rights, Ramesh organized several dharnas and participated in Rastaroko alongside Madiga leaders. 

Later on 15th July 2022, Ramesh founded the Madiga Dandora Sangam. The foundation was established with the intention of providing equal rights to all castes.

Madigala Kurukshetra Mahasabha was called in front of Acharya Nagarjuna University on July 7, 2017, in order to put pressure on the TDP government of the day to put a bill in the parliament to demand the central government to do SC classification. MRPS was detained by the police without permission from the government. Activists were lathi-charged and sent to jail. Similarly, the last TDP government sanctioned thousands of crores of funds through SC Corporation and GO no.25.

There are 40 lakh Madigas in the current state government of Andhra Pradesh. They suffer a tremendous loss due to the lack of SC classification in the welfare sector politically, employment wise and educationally. Therefore, we request Siyam Jaganmohan Reddy to pass an SC classification resolution in the assembly and send it to the central government.

Demands:-

1. Cases filed on July 7, 2017, in connection with Madigala Kurukshetra should be quashed.
2. Funds should be allocated to Madiga Corporation to protect the unemployed youth.
3. Allocate funds to Relli Corporation and protect it financially.
4. Politically, 14 MLAs, 2 MPs, and ministerial posts should be allotted to Madigalas according to the population ratio.
5. To support Madiga tanners by allocating funds through lid cap to Tanners who are Madiga professionals.
6. The government should take action against the killings and rapes of the Madigalas in Andhra Pradesh and give justice to the Madigalas. SC and ST Act should be strictly enforced.

Activities by Ramesh in his State Youth President Reign:

• Under the leadership of Madiga Dandora founder president Ponnekanti Ramesh, MRPS leaders visited Vamsi, a student of Bonthapadu village of Prathipadu constituency, and condemned the attack on him. And the Kapu youths of Etukuru village who had indiscriminately beaten Vamsi and called her Kulam with vulgar language were demanded to be immediately arrested and booked under SC and ST Act and punished severely.
• Tenali Rural Mandal, Nandivelugu Village, Jashava Nagar Madiga Palle, Wellness Center, Primary Health Center Tenali Legislator Mr. Annabattena Shivakumar has been three months since laying the foundation stone. Madiga Dandora community founder Ramesh and MRPS leaders together requested Tenali Sub-Collector Nidhi Menon to complete the foundation of the primary health center as soon as possible.
• On the occasion of International Folk Artists Day, Tenali Constituency Legislator Honorable Mr. Annabathuni Shivakumar watched the dance performed by the drum artists in Kolakalur village of Tenali Mandal and felicitated them with a shawl and gave them cash. Madiga Dandora Founder President Ramesh was the Chief Guest for this program.