HYDERABAD: More than 20,000 Gottikoyas, an indigenous tribe living in about 100 habitations in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district are going through an unremitting agony. They have no food to eat, no jobs to do and no medical help to fight Covid-19, on account of the lockdown being in force. As no help is reaching them, some of them are leaving for their native places in Chhattisgarh, hoping against hope that they might get lucky in their home State.
Covid-19 has thrown the life of the tribals out of gear. They eke out a living as farm hands and workers in the construction sector. Since May 12, when the lockdown was imposed, all construction work has stopped. Even harvesting of crops had ceased. They are not able to find work in villages as, unlike last year, all activities have come to a grinding halt after the enforcement of lockdown.
A Gottikoya tribal K Rajaiah in Pydigudem village in Dummagudem said: “We have no work since the lockdown began. We and our families are starving. No one is coming to our rescue. No one is distributing rice and essential commodities to us.”As misfortunes never come alone, the Covid-19 pandemic struck the Gottikoyas with a vengeance.
So far, 30 tribals have died due to the infection in the mandals of Charla and Dummagudem and about 10,000 tribals are battling for their lives.Tribal associations rue that the government would woo them for votes at the time of elections but when they are in a tight spot, no one comes forward to help them. “The situation in tribal hamlets is scary. There is no medical care for the patients. We are watching helplessly as our brethren die,” says Madavai Nehru, a tribal association leader.
Gottikoyas had migrated from Chhattisgarh to different places in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district about 15 years ago, unable to face the heat from Salavajudem activists. Slowly, they found their feet in the district and even obtained Aadhaar cards. The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) is supposed to go to their rescue as most of them are affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but there is no sign of any official reaching out to them yet.
Adivasi Girijana Samkshema Parishad founder president Sonde Veeraiah faults the ITDA officials for the Gottikoyas’ plight. “The ITDA is yet to send any relief to Gottikoyas. It looks as though no one in the government is bothered about us. There is no tangible effort being made in arresting the spread of Covid-19 in tribal areas,” he says.Despite several attempts, ITDA PO P Gowtham could not be reached. One officer, whom TNIE could contact, said they have begun supplying essential commodities to the tribals but did not want to be quoted.
No avenue left now
Gottikoyas eke out a living as farm hands and construction workers. Since the lockdown, construction work has completely stopped and harvesting of crops has ceased