The demand for upholding self-governance in Fifth Schedule areas and ending the alleged injustices being meted out to Adivasis in all crucial spheres is gaining momentum ahead of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People slated to be celebrated on August 9.
Several Adivasi organisations are gearing to conduct a series of programmes in the next couple of days to mount pressure on the government to create an Adivasi district encompassing the Agency areas in Khammam district with Bhadrachalam town as its headquarters.
Hunger strike
The Girijana Samkshema Parishad had decided to undertake a hunger strike in Bhadrachalam from August 1 to press for its charter of demands including setting up of tribal autonomous council in Bhadrachalam by bringing all the 24 tribal sub-plan mandals in the district under its jurisdiction to uphold “self-rule” in the Agency areas.
The Adivasi Samkshema Parishat State committee has drawn up a plan of action to spearhead a campaign to muster support for its demands including formation of an Adivasi district with Bhadrachalam as its headquarters and declaration of a holiday on “World Adivasis Day” on August 9.
The Adivasi organisations have also mooted a series of agitations in protest against the State government’s alleged move to form some new districts by merging both tribal and plain areas.