ADILABAD: On a day when the state Director General of Police (DGP) M Mahender Reddy rushed to Adilabad to take stock of the situation arising out of the clashes between Adivasis and Lambadas, Adivasis allegedly damaged two houses belonging to Lambadas in Srikonda mandal. Some Lambada families were either forced to migrate to Maharashtra or warned to leave the hamlets.
A day after Karimnagar Range DIG and two SPs of the erstwhile Adilabad district were transferred, Mahender Reddy visited Adilabad, Utnoor areas with senior officials to review the situation. He appealed both the communities to restrain from violence.
Mahender Reddy expressed concern over the clashes between Adivasis and Lambadas as he feared that the extremists, who have been trying hard to gain foothold in the state, would take advantage of the situation and try to strengthen their position or spread violence.
DGP, who visited Utnoor and other places to take stock of the situation here on Sunday, asked his men to be vigilant as the extremists would take advantage of the situation and instigate people. “We should be more vigilant as there is a possibility of naxal groups taking advantage of the situation and mislead the people. We should not give them any opportunity to take advantage of the situation,” he said.
In the wake of nine members of CPI-ML Chandra Pulla Reddy Baata gunned down in Khammam, the DGP feared that the outlawed group members would retaliate and create law and order problem in the trouble-hit areas of Adilabad and bordering areas. He wanted the district police to keep track of the movements of all the naxal groups active in the district.
The police chief also directed his men to take measures to bring the situation back to normal. “We should try to reopen schools and colleges as it would bring down tension in the region. Students have been suffering with annual exams around the corner. We should see to that situation is brought back to normal at the earliest,” he pointed out.
He said that the police were identifying the people involved in the violence. Meanwhile, Adivasis damaged two houses belonging to Lambadas in Rampur thanda of Srikonda mandal in the district accusing them of mixing poison in the local well to cause harm to the former community.
Sources said that a person fell ill after consuming water from the well and the villagers accused the two Lambada families of mixing poison. However, the two families escaped from the village fearing attack.
In another incident, as many as 15 Lambada families left the village in Gadiguda mandal fearing attack from Adivasis.
It is learnt that the families who escaped to Maharastra have lodged complaint with police of that state. In Pulsi D thanda, 35 families who had migrated from Maharashtra were given one month time to leave the village by the Adivasis.
Despite warning of stringent action, Adivasis have continued to threaten Lambadas and have been exerting pressure on them to leave the state.
Bandh call at Bhadrachalam today
Meanwhile, the Adivasi organisations gave a bandh call in Bhadrachalam Agency area on Monday with a demand that Lambadas are removed from the ST status.
Section 144 imposed in Khammam
Khammam: Keeping in view the clashes between Lambadas and Koya community people in Adilabad, police imposed Section 144 in the district commissionarate limits, additional DCP Suresh Kumar has said. He visited Tallada, Enkoor and Wyra police stations here on Sunday.
Speaking to mediapersons in Tallada, he said that people should not form groups and resort to any kind of unlawful violence as it would land them up in trouble. He also said that people should cooperate with police in maintaining law and order. He instructed the officials to not spare unlawful incidents in the district.