The rhythmic drum beats of the robust Dandari-Ghusadi dance of the Adivasis has drowned the cacophony of electioneering in the tribal belt of erstwhile undivided Adilabad district, especially in the Adivasi habitations. The aboriginal Raj Gonds and Kolams who are busy celebrating the colourful dance festival are not in a mood for electoral politics, at least until it ends a day after Deepawali.
This is the third time that election to the State Assembly are being held in the winter where the run up to polling coincides with the festival season of ethnic voters in the large Agency tract. When Telangana was part of Andhra Pradesh, polling for the 1989 election was held on November 22, that for 1994 election was held on December 1 and it will be held on December 7, this instance.
As the Assembly was dissolved in August itself, political parties and voters got into election mode rather early this year. “But we cannot ignore our sacred festivals,” asserted Madavi Raju, the Patel or village headman of Kannapur in Srikonda of Boath (ST) as he underscored the relevance of culture in the Adivasi ethos. “The political parties will have to wait until this festival ends. We will not be able to devote any time to those who come campaigning because of our involvement in this sacred festival,” observed Ghodam Nago Rao, the Raj Gond elder of Marutiguda in Indervelli mandal of Khanapur (ST) constituency, as the dance troupe from his village started setting out for a visit to other village on Saturday.
Farm season
Almost all parties except the Congress have declared their nominees for the three Assembly constituencies, Asifabad, Khanapur and Boath, reserved for Scheduled Tribes. The candidates, however, are sticking to the villages located on the main roads where the population is a mixture of tribals and non-tribals.
Marapa Raju, member of Bharatiya Janata Party State council who is a Pardhan leader in Indervelli of Khanapur seat said the campaigning of his party will begin only after November 8. “The ethnic voters will still devote less time for receiving us as they will be busy harvesting and sowing for rabi season,” he pointed out.
