Adivasis likely to adopt ‘self-rule’ declaration

Lambadas accused of usurping all government benefits meant for tribal people

Adivasi women staging a protest at the Indervelli martyrs column recently.

As June 2, the date on which Telangana Adivasis are slated to adopt ‘self-rule’ in their habitations, comes closer, curious developments have started taking shape with respect to the demand of the aboriginal people to remove Lambada tribe from the list of Scheduled Tribes.

Six Adivasi organisations have issued guidelines through a hand bill for the ethnic villagers to follow in order to intensify the movement starting June 2, which also happens to be the State Formation Day.

The ethnic tribes have been demanding expulsion of the Lambada tribe since the last quarter of 2017, alleging that the latter had gained entry into the list through a process which remained incomplete.

Also, they are accused of usurping all government benefits meant for the aboriginal people. The movement saw a couple of violent incidents but peace had been restored since January.

The government is silent so far as the demands of Adivasis are concerned in the first phase and there is no indication that it will move during the ensuing intensified second phase.

Contending that the 17,352 sq. km of Scheduled Area is governed by the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Area Act, 1996 under the Fifth Schedule of Indian Constitution, the Adivasi organisations will declare establishment

Maa oollo, maa rajyam (my rule in my village) on that day.

“We have every right to do so as the government has failed to respond to our notice and conduct grama sabhas in order to solve our problems,” said Soyam Bapu Rao, president of Adivasi Hakkula Porata Samithi, also known as Tudum Debba.

The PESA Act, according to the leader of the Adivasi party, has provision for grama sabhas to resolve issues which are to be conducted either by the government or elders in given villages. “Now we will do it on our own,” he asserted.

The organisations, Tudum Debba, Adivasi Teachers Federation, Adivasi Vidyarthi Sangham, Adivasi Mahila Sangham, Adivasi Rythu Sangham and Adivasi Yuvajana Sangham, have issued a set of six guidelines for the aboriginal people to follow in the villages.

The grama sabhas in respective villages are expected to pass resolutions on these.

The guildelines include a demand for formation of ‘my village my rule’ committees, seeking removal of Lambada employees from 29 government departments, not to allow any resource out of villages, rejection of government schemes and loans by ethnic people, not to permit government officials into villages and demand for scrapping holidays declared by the government.

“We will stop sand and timber being taken out of our villages, besides payment of electricity bills and the money saved will be used for development of village concerned,” disclosed Purka Bapu Rao, Tudum Debba leader.