Adivasi-Lambada tussle to be taken to CM

Collectors fail to convince Adivasis to withdraw protest

Adivasi elders coming out of a meeting with Adilabad and Mancherial collectors in Adilabad on Sunday.

The State government on Sunday initiated steps towards finding a solution to the tussle between Adivasis and Lambada tribe which has caused considerable dislocation since the last few days in the field of education and health.

Adilabad Collector Buddha Prakash M. Jyoti and Mancherial Collector R.V. Karnan, who is also the Project Officer of Utnoor Integrated Tribal Development Agency, held a marathon meeting with elders of Adivasi Raj Gond and Pardhan tribes.

Procedural lapses

The meeting however, failed in breaking the impasse as the aboriginal elders said the boycott of Lambada teachers and others would continue until the plains tribe was removed from the list of Scheduled Tribes.

They presented their case with the help of relevant sections of the Constitution and procedural lapses in enlisting the Lambadas in the ST list.

Delegation

The Adivasis nevertheless, agreed to be part of a delegation which will meet Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao sometime during the next few days.

The delegation will comprise of 30 members from ethnic tribes, 10 each from erstwhile undivided Adilabad, Warangal and Khammam districts. The Chief Minister, according to sources, will hear out the aboriginal tribes on the issue of injustice they have been subjected to.

The Adivasis apparently attach much interest to that meeting.