HYDERABAD: With Lambadas and Adivasis crossing swords with each other over reservations issue, the collectors of all the districts, where a large number of tribal people live, have been reportedly ordered to review and decide who are “native tribes” and who are “non-native” tribal people in each district so as to list out local STs and non-local STs. This development took place days after the State government had cracked the whip by transferring the collectors of three districts-Adilabad, Kumarambheem and Nirmal, following violent clashes between Lambadas and Adivasis in Adilabad district a few days ago.
According to sources, as part of damage control exercise, after the sudden outburst of agitation by aboriginal tribal people in the Adilabad district, the State government has decided to take measures to allay the fears of Adivasis, who are upping the ante against the Lambadas, saying that the Lambadas are taking away their “rights over lands”.
It is learnt that the government has decided not to implement the circular issued by the then collector of Kumarambheem district, Champalal. The officer, who belongs to the Lambada community, had issued a circular in June last year to revenue officials, directing them to include the name of Lambadas in the pahani, a revenue record in which rights of ownership of lands pertaining to agriculturists are noted. Adivasis are of the view that decision favoured Lambadas, mostly those who migrated to Agency areas, to get ownership rights over lands that belong to aboriginal tribes.
As Adivasis are unhappy with this development, State government issued directions to collectors of Agency districts to coordinate among themselves and workout measures such as identifying non-tribal people in the respective district to instil confidence among native Gonds and Koyas. “Now, the district collectors will meet and decide who is an original tribal person and who is not a non-local tribal,” TRS MP Sitaram Naik said on Saturday. He said their intention was that the Adivasis and Lambadas should live in peaceful manner.