Adivasis oppose new communities in ST list

Plan to raise issue of inclusion of new communities at December 9 meeting

File photo of Telangana ST Commission Chairman S. Chellappa (right) during a visit to study enthnography of Kaithi Lambadas in Salewada (K) of Utnoor mandal in Adilabad district last year.

It is ‘reservation’ not ‘development’, or the lack of it, which has come to exercise the minds of tribals in the Agency areas of erstwhile undivided Adilabad district. While the Adivasi ‘movement’ to demand the removal of Lambada tribe from the list of Scheduled Tribes is steadily gaining momentum, the aboriginal people are worried about the prospect of more communities being added to the list.

“We will oppose any move by the government to include already developed communities in the ST list. The issue of proposing Kaithi Lambada or Mathura and Valmiki Boya communities in the list will be raised at the December 9 Adivasi self respect public meeting at Hyderabad,” disclosed Soyam Bapu Rao, State president the Adivasi Hakkula Porata Samithi or the Tudum Debba.

ST Commission

A few months ago, the State government recommended the names of Kaithi Lambada and Valmiki Boya communities for inclusion in the ST list owing to a long pending demand from them. Though the report of the S. Chellappa ST Commission which had been set up to explore the prospects of including the two communities has not been made public yet, the recommendation was presumably based on its findings.

The ST Commission was mandated with exploring the socio-economic conditions of these communities and comparing the state of their development with existing tribes, among other aspects. Its functioning however, came under a cloud from within when its secretary K. Veeramallu resigned accusing the Commission not going about the study as per the guidelines.

Though Kaithi Lambada community too was considered for being listed as Scheduled Tribe along with Lambada in 1976, due to some reason it was not included.

Economically strong

“Inclusion of Mathura community in the ST list will spell disaster. It will herald migrations from Maharashtra similar to the one which happened in the case of Lambadas,” warned Kanaka Ambaji Rao, president of the Haimendorf Youth organisation from the historic Marlavai village in Jainoor mandal of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.

“The Mathura community is into transport and cloth business in a big way and is economically strong,” claimed Purka Bapu Rao, president of the Indervelli Amaraveerula Ashya Sadhana Samithi. “Mathuras cultivate a few thousand acres of lands leased from poor Adivasis in the mandals of Utnoor, Indervelli, Gudihatnoor, Ichoda, Neredigonda, Boath and Bazarhatnoor in Adilabad district and if made STs they will purchase these lands spelling doom to the ethnic tribal farmers,” he explained.