HYDERABAD: Its been is an endless cycle of violence and despair for the past 43 years in the agency areas in the State. It all started when the Sugalis and Lambadas were included in Scheduled Tribes (ST) by an Act — 108/1976 — by the Central government.
The clashes between aboriginal tribes and Banjaras have been continuing in the State since then. On Monday, a large number of tribals staged a dharna in Delhi with two major demands — rights over lands to Adivasis and exclusion of Banjaras from the ST category.
The rally is being organised by BJP Lok Sabha member from Adilabad Soyam Bapu Rao, and is being attended by tribal people from several states. Their demand is to amend the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act, 1976 by removing Banjaras from it.
However, some Banajara leaders feel that the rally in Delhi is politically motivated with an eye on the Jharkhand assembly polls, where the population comprises 26 per cent tribals. However, both aboriginal tribes and Banjaras have their own arguments.
The clashes between the aboriginal tribes and Banjaras reached a flashpoint two years ago when the then district collector of Asifabad, K Champalal issued a circular in June, 2017 to include the names of Lambadas in pahani, revenue records. The ownership of lands pertaining to farmers are noted in pahanis. This decision favoured the Lambadas immensely.
The argument that the Adivasis make is that Lambadas mostly migrated to Agency areas to get ownership rights over lands, which actually belonged to aboriginal tribes.
The State government, however, later cancelled the circular issued by the district collector. The Adivasis boycotted the officials, as most of them belonged to non-tribes. The Koyas and Gondus are now demanding to exclude the Banjaras from the ST list, so that Adivasis can get jobs and other financial benefits properly from the government. The Adivasis say that most of the financial schemes are being taken away by the Banjaras, who are educated and more forward than these primitive tribes.
“Now, Adivasis are in the grip of fear that their lands will also be slowly taken away by the Banjaras. Of the total ST reservations, 97 per cent are being enjoyed by Lambadas,” alleged Soyam Bapu Rao.
Aboriginal tribes to meet Prime Minister
BJP MP from Adilabad Bapu Rao said in Delhi on Monday that they will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discuss the Adviasi issues with him. He declared that their movement will continue till Banjaras were excluded from STs.
National Adivasi JAC chairman Chanda Lingaiah, who attended the rally in Delhi, told Express over the phone that the rally was a huge success. They passed a unanimous resolution that the Banjaras/Lambadas should be exempted from the ST category.
He said that tribals from Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, AP, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh attended the rally. Bapu Rao would meet the PM shortly, he added