Tribal people vent their ire in a novel way

Enact a skit to highlight the government’s apathy towards their problems

CPI ML New Democracy Activists enacting an episode as part of a protest demonstration against delay in section of old age pension at Tekulapalli in Khammam on Saturday. Photo: G. N. Rao

Tribal people owing allegiance to the CPI (ML-New Democracy) staged a novel protest by performing a skit at Tekulapalli on Friday resenting alleged government’s apathy towards redressal of their grievances relating to pensions, housing and other long pending issues.

The CPI (ML-ND) Tekulapalli mandal committee has organised the novel demonstration to bring to the fore the numerous problems plaguing tribal people living in remote areas of the mandal.

A group of protesters donned different roles including that of the officials and petitioners as part of a skit, which they enacted near the Mandal Revenue office in Tekulapalli in the afternoon.

They performed the skit in a symbolic protest against the alleged denial of social security pensions, ration cards (Food security cards), agricultural loans, community certificates and others to many eligible persons.

Rally

A rally was organised in the mandal headquarters town as a prelude to the demonstration.

Two elderly tribal women Gagulothu Lakshmi and Mutyalu of Tekulapalli were among those who gave vent to their resentment by participating in the rally.

A section of the aggrieved protesters deplored that their names were not included in the Asara pension scheme due to reasons beyond their comprehension.

Addressing the protesters, the CPI (ML-ND) district secretary P. Ranga Rao alleged that many impoverished tribal people were deprived of social security pensions, crop loans, housing, food security cards and other benefits meant for the poor people in the district.

Land pattas sought

The Telangana government should ensure that the intended social security and welfare benefits reach every eligible person, he demanded and sought sanction of pattas to tribal people over lands being cultivated by them in Agency areas, to comply with the Forest Rights Act.

Later, a delegation of the party mandal leaders handed over a memorandum containing a charter of demands for the welfare of tribal people, to the officials concerned at the Mandal Revenue office for forwarding the same to the government.