Adivasis not only have boycotted Lambada teachers but also decided not to work on their farms. On Monday Adivasis turned away about 20 of them from schools in Narsapur (B) in Utnoor, Jamda and Gundala in Narnoor of Adilabad district and Gourapur and Patnapur of Jainoor in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district accusing them of discriminating against Adivasi students.
While Narsapur villagers and school education committee even declared closure of school till December 9, a set of 45 aboriginal students of Mandal Parishad Primary School, Dubbaguda in Jainoor mandal boycotted classes saying they will not study under the two teachers who belong to the plains tribe — Lambada.
The villagers of Narsapur (B) passed a resolution cancelling lease of all lands being cultivated by Lambadas and vowing not to work on the fields of the plains tribe.
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The ‘boycott’ of teachers belonging to Lambada tribe by aboriginal people — the Raj Gonds, Kolams and Pardhans — in erstwhile undivided Adilabad district began last week was a manifestation of the continuing mutual discord. The discord has its roots in the disparity in development, the ethnic people accusing the plains tribe of cornering all welfare schemes by unfair means.
The over three decade old differences came out in the open when Kumram Bhim Asifabad Collector M. Champa Lal issued a circular in June this year to the Revenue Department allowing it to issue the ‘pahani’ land records to non-tribals in the Agency areas.
The Adivasis contended that this was in violation of Land Transfer Regulations in force and went against their interests.
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Discrimination
A protest was staged by the aboriginals in August following which the circular was kept in abeyance. The Collector was also accused of denying the Adivasis a holiday in connection with the martyrdom anniversary of Raj Gond martyr Kumram Bheem though the government had declared a holiday for the anniversary of Lambada saint Sant Seva Lal.
In another incident of protest on the eve of Bheem’s martyrdom anniversary, Adivasis burnt the statue of a Lambada woman which was standing in the Jodeghat Tribal Museum. The Lambadas took out a rally following this at Asifabad in a bid to show that the tribe will not take the insult lying down.
As if in answer to this protest by the Lambadas, the Adivasis too held a similar protest at Asifabad last month which saw vandalism of government property. The rally also demonstrated the resolve of the ethnic people in taking the issue head on.
Cases filed
The Adivasis also took out the Indervelli-Utnoor March on November 6 and are planning a ‘Chalo Hyderabad’ on December 9 to highlight the issue.
More significant however, is the boycott of the Lambada tribe locally which includes refusal to study under teachers belonging to the plains tribe. As many as nine instances of Lambada teachers not being allowed in schools took place in KB Asifabad district. Police in Adilabad has registered six cases so far for obstructing the teachers from attending duties and unlawful confinement.