The Adivasis of erstwhile united Adilabad district may not have seen the country’s capital city, New Delhi, but they have known of its existence since centuries. “We don’t know much about our connection with the national capital but we have a song sung as part of our Dandari-Ghusadi festival which mentions Dilli-Hastinapur ruled by Pandavas to be our sacred place,” revealed Raj Gond elder and former chairman of the Aboriginal Tribes Welfare Advisory Committee, Sidam Bheem Rao.
The disclosure came on Wednesday at a meeting of about 50 Adivasis belonging to the Keslapur and Ginnera Rai centres or Adivasi advisory councils, who are among the few thousand ethnic people from old Adilabad who will attend the December 9 public meeting in Delhi called to highlight the demand for expulsion of Lambada tribe from the list of Scheduled Tribes. “We are going to sacred Delhi to take part in the meeting in the belief that we will succeed in our fight,” observed Mr. Bheem Rao.
To achieve the objective, however, those headed for the national capital must observe certain rules, he cautioned. “You should stay away from liquor and tobacco during your sojourn and not carry even a match box,” he stipulated to those who attended the meeting at Keslapur.
“We have issued plastic identity cards to each individual bearing his name, mobile phone number and Aadhaar card number besides the name of the Rai centre. All those who are attending the meeting will be in white clothes with a green stole slung from the neck,” divulged youth leader Kotnak Barik Rao who is coordinating the journey.
The Adivasis will board a special train from Adilabad railway station at 8 p.m. on December 7 and return on December 11. A lot of 20 passengers will be led by a team leader during this period.
Many others are reaching Delhi in flights, by specially hired buses and four wheelers. Arrangements to receive them and their stay are under way in Delhi under the supervision of Adilabad MP Soyam Bapu Rao.
