The second phase of movement of aboriginal tribes in erstwhile united Adilabad district seeking expulsion of Lambada tribe from the list of Scheduled Tribes started on Friday with Adivasis declaring self rule in many of their villages.
In villages like historic Marlavai in Jainoor mandal the tribal villagers put up boards proclaiming self rule in the village thereby restricting entry of unauthorised people.
The villagers refused entry to Lambada teachers in schools in Agency villages at many places even as schools reopened after summer vacation.
Gram sabha
Though an accurate number of non-tribal teachers who were turned away will be known by end of day, reports suggested that the plains tribe teachers were not allowed to report on duty at almost all schools.
The ethnic villagers conducted grama sabhas at respective villages in the morning and declared ‘mava nate mava raj’ — my rule in my village — and later served notices on head masters of schools in their villages informing them of the decision of the grama sabha not to let Lambada teachers in schools where Adivasi children studied. The notices quoted Article 244 (1) of Indian Constitution, Fifth Schedule of the Constitution para (3) etc to drive home the point that their move had constitutional sanctity.
Report to ITDA
At most of the places, Lambada teachers reached the schools but were told by the sarpanch or village headman to return. The teachers subsequently reported to authorities at the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Utnoor.
State general secretary of Telangana State Tribal Teachers Federation Jadhav Kapil Kumar was sent back at Marlavai school. He told The Hindu that the move of Adivasis was not proper and education of children would suffer.
Training programme
Meanwhile, ITDA Project Officer S. Krishna Aditya said Lambada teachers were allowed to report in some villages. “In any case they will be busy for the next 10 days or so attending training programme at Utnoor,” he said.
The ITDA is giving training to teachers in English, Maths, Physics and Social Science in which a majority of students in tribal schools lagged behind. “The teachers will get to participate in the transfers after that,” he added.
