Bogus ST certificates a burning issue in Maharashtra, too

‘SIT report will have far reaching consequences but will set things in proper perspective’

Adivasi women raising slogans during a protest against bogus ST certificate issue at Hatti in Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.

The bogus Scheduled Tribe certificate issue which is rocking some districts in Telangana at present is also a burning issue in Maharashtra, especially in the neighbouring Kinwat taluq of Nanded district. The victims there mainly belong to the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group -- Kolam.

Kinwat was a part of Adilabad district until it went to Maharashtra during the reorganisation of States on linguistic basis in 1956. The caste and tribe component in the taluq therefore is similar to the one found here.

Kinwat’s population comprises Velamas, Munnur Kapus among other castes while its tribal population consists of Gond, Pardhan, Andh, Bhill and Kolam aboriginal people.

“The Kolams are also called Munnurwarlu in Kinwat and it is because this caste name resembles names of other castes like Munnurkapu and Telugu Munnur and so it was easy for the unscrupulous to get bogus ST certificates,” pointed out Govardhan Munde, Maharashtra State president of Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram’s Jan Jati Hit Raksha wing which is in the forefront of a campaign to weed out bogus ST certificates.

“There are about 13,000 bogus certificates issued in Nanded district,” Mr. Munde claimed. “An inquiry by Kinwat Assistant Collector and Project Officer of the Integrated Tribal Development Project in 2016 clearly reveals the process involved in issue of fake ST certificates,” he disclosed.

The Maharashtra Government appointed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the matter immediately after the inquiry report was submitted to it. “Its report could have far reaching consequences but will set things in proper perspective,” the Kinwat campaigner observed.

Meanwhile, Adivasi Gonds and Kolams from Kinwat taluq led by former Kinwat MLA Keram Bhim Rao, a Gond tribal, participated in a protest rally and public meeting organised at Bheempur on November 20 by the local aboriginal people who are demanding removal of Lambada tribe from the list of STs. They expressed solidarity with the protesting ethnic people here as the tribes on both sides of the inter-State border share the same concern.

“The issue is much larger than what is visible,” Mr. Munde opined. “Not only the State governments but the Central government also should take note of it and interfere immediately to protect the interest of innocent Adivasis,” he demanded.