The Lambada Hakkula Porata Samithi (LHPS) demanded the inclusion of all tribal languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution to make them official languages in order to protect them from getting extinct.
Giving the example of the Sanskrit, the national president of LHPS, Bellaiah Naik, told The Hindu that the Sanskrit was thriving in the country only because it was a recognised language, even though it was spoken by less than one percent of the total population. “If languages are recognised by the government, they would be taught in schools, colleges and universities, increasing their longevity,” said Mr. Naik.
The samithi also demanded that the schools in tribal villages must teach students up to the sixth class in the languages they could understand in order to preserve the tribal language and culture. “Gradually, the medium of instruction could be changed to the predominant language,” Mr. Naik felt.
The tribal schools must use examples the tribal children would understand instead of the popular examples taught in other schools.
Upgrading of hamlets
President of the LHPS Andhra Pradesh unit R. Kailash Naik said that the previous government had changed over 140 hamlets, with a population of more than 500 people each, into village panchayats but still more than 500 were left over. They should also be upgraded immediately, he demanded.
The sarpanches of these 140-odd village panchayats did not have proper facilities to conduct their work. “The sarpanches are still sitting under trees and carrying out official duties,” he alleged. He demanded release of ₹1 crore to each tribal village panchayat from the ST sub-plan, to construct buildings, buy furniture and other office supplies.
