End Government-tribal clash in Telangana
When the Southwest monsoon comes to Telangana, it brings along with it unrest in tribal habitations. The inevitable clashes that take place between the forest department staff and the tribals not only disturb the stillness of the sylvan glades of Telangana’s hinterland but are also eloquent testimony to the government’s lack of will to address the decades-old festering sore.
Only on Tuesday, tribals chased away the police and forest staff in Mahabubabad district who tried to prevent them from preparing for podu cultivation. In June 2019, a forest range officer, C Anita, was beaten up mercilessly in Asifabad district by a TRS leader who was acting on behalf of tribals. Clashes have become commonplace now in several districts. Podu cultivation, in which forest land is cleared by burning to grow crops, is a means of livelihood for tribals. But the forest department has to protect the ecology and promote biodiversity. If lands are clearly demarcated, there would be no problem. But they are not, which is pitting tribals and the forest department officials against one another. Under the Recognition of Forest Rights Act, 2006, the state government has so far issued 94,774 pattas for 3,03,970 acres of forest land as against claims for 6,31,850 acres. It means that more than 3 lakh acres of land were left out, which has become a bone of contention between the tribals and the forest department.
Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on several occasions said he would end the problem for good by conducting Praja Darbars in tribal villages. Even in the recent campaign for the by-election for the Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly seat, he made the same promise. But so far, nothing has happened. The forest cover, because of Haritha Haram, has increased by 3.67% to 66.66 lakh acres, which is just over 24% of the total 2.77 crore acres of the geographical area in the state. That is good news. But the chief minister will have to satisfy the tribals too. The issue must brook no delay. He has to issue pattas to the left-out tribals and then declare the rest of the land as one that belongs to the forest.