Tension prevailed in the town as both Adivasi and Lambada communities planned to hold a public meeting at the same time and same venue here on Sunday.
Police arrested over 400 persons and imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 30 of the Police Act 1861. As people poured into the town from various directions, the police arrested them and sent them away to police stations in rural parts to avoid any untoward incident.
Superintendent of Police N. Koti Reddy told The Hindu that they had made preventive arrest of more than 400 persons, belonging to both groups, on Sunday . “We denied permission to both Adivasis and Lambadas. They wanted to hold meetings opposing each other at Gandhi Park in Mahabubabad town,” he said.
Additional forces
Additional forces were brought from Kothagudem and Khammam districts by the district police to ensure law and order.
State vice-president of Thudum Debba, an Adivasi organisation, Vattam Upender said they had been demanding that the Centre remove Lambadas from the ST list as it was against the Constitution. “The Lambadas have been included in 1976 without following proper procedure and we view it as invalid. They are eating away the welfare meant for nine Adivasi tribes of Telangana,” he said.
Mr. Upender said the Lambadas were only 1.32 lakh and Adivasi were four lakh in 1976. But now the Lambadas were over 20 lakh and Adivasi were just nine lakh. The Lambadas belonging to Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka, where they were not STs, migrated to Telangana to enjoy the reservation genuinely meant for local Adivasis. “We want the Central and State governments to listen to the tale of how we are being denied our constitutional rights. We will continue our struggle,” he said.
‘Govt. silent’
Meanwhile, Lambada Ikya Vedika member Jai Singh Rathod said they were denied permission to hold a meeting by the police. He accused the State government and a section of political leaders of creating a rift between the STs for political mileage. “The TRS government promised 12% reservation and three-acre land to all STs. Instead of delivering the same, now it is silent in the ongoing fight between Adivasi and Lambadas,” he said.
Mr. Rathod said they would fight for their ‘self-respect’ and would hold ‘Atmagaurava Sadassu’ across the State and demand that the State government come out clearly on the rift between Adivasi and Lambada tribes in the State.
