SRIKAKULAM: Tension prevailed at the Srikakulam collectorate Monday afternoon after the tribal people ransacked the protest camp erected by fishermen communities who have been staging a demonstration for the last 56 days seeking ST status for them.
The recent decision of the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet of according ST status to the Boya and Valmiki communities did not go down well with the tribal communities.
Protesting the move, around 20,000 tribals from across the district took out a massive rally from Ambedkar junction to the collectorate in Srikakulam on Monday.
At around 2 pm, the tribal protesters tried to lay siege the collectorate, shouting anti-government slogans against the granting of ST status to Boya and Valmiki communities.
The tribal protesters vented out their anger on the fishermen communities who have been staging demonstrations seeking ST status. The agitators ransacked the protest camp set up by the fishermen, threw the chairs and tables before setting the tent on fire, leading to a commotion.
The police intervened and quelled the mob as fire officials doused the fire.
Collector K Dhananjaya Reddy met the tribal protesters and received a representation from them. "We will bring the demands to the notice of the government and the issues pertaining to the development of the tribal pockets will be sorted out," he promised the protesters.
After the collector's assurance, the tribal protesters budged and cleared the area.
"We have successfully evacuated the protesting fishermen and quelled the mob. Some tribal agitators set the tent afire and ransacked the furniture at the fishermen protest camp. So far, no case has been registered. We will probe into the issue and the people who created the unrest during the rally will also be identified," SP Trivikram Varma said.