The Raj Gond and Pardhan villagers of Pittabongaram in Indervelli mandal of Adilabad district on Friday sent back Lambada teachers from the local Tribal Welfare Ashram School. They handed over a resolution, passed at the grama sabha under Article 244 (1), para 13 (C) of Schedule V of the Indian Constitution, rejecting the services of the Lambada teachers in the school as they had allegedly obtained jobs based on illegal ST certificates and were allegedly ignoring the studies of Adivasi students.
School management committee (SMC) chairman Madavi Bapu Rao, Patel (village headman) Vette Rajeshwar and former chairman of Aboriginal Tribe Welfare Advisory Committee Sidam Bheem Rao lead a group of about 100 villagers to the school. The SMC conducted a check and found discrepancy in the number of students present and the number of students shown present in the hostel to prove their point.
Meanwhile, villagers turned away Lambada teachers at Ashram High School, Jhari in Narnoor mandal of Adilabad district. At Marlawai in Jainoor mandal of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district, women forced Lambada teachers to beat a retreat for the second time in a matter of four days.
Mancherial Collector R.V. Karnan, who is also the in-charge Project Officer of Utnoor Integrated Tribal Development Agency, told The Hindu that committees of officials have been formed to visit mandals where instances of boycotts are taking place.
He expressed hope that these committees will make the protesting Adivasis see reason in not hampering education of their children or health of the aboriginal people.
