RAIPUR: Thousands of tribal families that migrated from Bastar in south Chhattisgarh to neighbouring states some 15 years ago due to Maoist terror are in a quandary.
With Telangana and Andhra Pradesh authorities, of late, pushing back these tribals fearing the Maoists could use their hamlets to regroup and reinforce, this internally displaced population has nowhere to go.
The Chhattisgarh government has consistently maintained that no tribal family had migrated from Bastar owing to the Naxal menace and hence, there was no question of taking them back.
The Chhattisgarh home minister Tamrdhwaj Sahu told the state Assembly in March 2021 that not a single case of migration from Bastar had come to light.
However, his own party’s MLA Lakheshwar Baghel said, “This doesn’t seem to be true as around 500 families had written to me informing that owing to the Maoist problem they were forced to shift.”
“They are not recognised in the adjoining states and remain deprived of the benefits tribals are entitled to. On many occasions, police and forest officials in other states have tried to push them back to Chhattisgarh. With no concrete action plan for them, where will they settle?” questions Shubhranshu Chowdhary, convener of The New Peace Process campaign in Bastar.
Danasari Seethakka, MLA from Mulugu in Telangana, said, “Our government is not willing to accept them and the Chhattisgarh government remains indecisive. The tribals are paying the price.”
Most of the tribals don’t have any document to prove their domicile in Chhattisgarh, said Chowdhary, adding that the Centre and the judiciary must intervene for their rehabilitation.