Reopening of schools and education during the current academic year in the Agency areas in erstwhile undivided Adilabad district may not be as much a problem as it looked until a few days back. The government has taken a decision to post contract residential teachers in schools where the Adivasis object to Lambada tribe teachers joining duty and offering an opportunity to the latter to opt out of such schools during the ensuing transfers.
The aboriginal tribes in the State are currently running a movement for removal of Lambada tribe from the list of Scheduled tribes. They have resolved to prevent Lambada teachers from reporting on duty in tribal schools as part of intensification of their movement starting Friday when schools reopen.
Utnoor Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Project Officer S. Krishna Aditya told The Hindu on Thursday that orders to this effect have been issued by the government. “We are also in touch with Adivasi elders who have given an assurance not to stop Lambada teachers from coming to school,” he added.
“There are 120 Lambada teachers in Ashram schools and 160 in regular schools who will be affected if stopped from joining duty. However, education will not be affected much as almost every school has only about two teachers,” the Project Officer pointed out.
Meanwhile, Lambada organisations led by Lambada Hakkula Porata Samithi and All India Banjara Seva Sangh discussed the current situation at an emergency meeting. LHPS district president Jadhav Ramana Naik and Sangh leader Jalam Singh later led a delegation and submitted a representation to Mr. Aditya seeking protection to teachers.
