HYDERABAD: Have Chenchus living inside the Nallamala forest reached a point where there is no going back to their roots?
Going by their sociocultural transformation, being driven by the influence of the so-called mainstream forces, indications are that an assisted collapse of their traditional lifestyle, is now imminent.
The fear of being forced to migrate exists as an undercurrent among the Chenchus, who had strongly resisted several attempts to relocate them for decades, whether it was the Telugu Ganga Project in the 80s, exploration for diamond deposits (an agreement made with De Beers) in the early 2010s, or the most recent attempts by the Atomic Minerals Directorate (AMD) to explore mining of uranium in the Amrabad Tiger Reserve and the Nagarjunasagar Tiger Reserve since 2018.
Activists point out that though no excavation has taken place yet, officials from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and AMD have been visiting the forest areas where markings were made for uranium exploration, despite a resolution passed in Telangana Assembly in 2019 against it.
“Petralchenu (near Udimilla)-Maddimadugu-Padara and Rayalagandi-Padara-Prathaparudruni Kota are the areas where surveys are actively being conducted. The last time GSI and forest officials started conducting surveys, we managed to prevent them from doing so. But there are mud roads being laid deep inside the forest and markings being made. Last month, Niranjan Kumar, a scientist from AMD, was also here. When the local media asked him, he said that it was routine survey, but we are sceptical about it,” says Nasaraiah, an activist.
People’s suspicion grew with the recent attempts by the forest department to relocate Chenchus and other forest dwellers from Kollampenta in Amrabad mandal, Geesugondi in Padara mandal, Kommenapenta and Sarlapalli habitations in Amrabad mandal.
The forest officials are not forcing them to relocate, but are offering them Rs 15 lakh per household as compensation, promising them land at an alternative location. However, local leaders say that there is no land left to be assigned to oustees. Chenchus from a few habitations who were relocated in the past had in fact returned to their earlier locations.
As per sources, 1,004 acres have been transferred from the Revenue department to the Forest department in Tirumalapuram, Laxmapur, Vonguronipally and Rayalagandi villages in Padara mandal. Rumours are doing rounds about possible exploration for diamonds there. There have been regular attempts to hunt for treasure at Prathaparudruni Kota and other temples in the forest area.
Chenchus living in the core forest area of Lingal mandal have been undergoing a sociocultural transformation in recent times, mostly due to the outsiders’ influence on them. Annual festivities like Bourapur jatara and Saileshwaram jatara have witnessed an adverse impact on the indigenous lifestyle of Chenchus.
Prevalence of alcoholism, religious conversions with money as an allurement have left Chenchus divided politically and have contributed to a change in their lifestyle and mentality.
“For decades now, Chenchus have been reduced to people who depend on alms from the government. Real development still eludes Chenchus who want to go for agroforestry if supported. Honeybees are rapidly going extinct because of chemical fertilisers and pesticides outside the forest, but here, they still have a safe habitat, though their population is on the decline.
There are Central schemes to empower farmers to go for beekeeping but they don’t realise that Chenchus can be a great resource for that,” said Thokala Guruvaiah, General Secretary, Chenchu Lokam. He added: “We have been representing to the political and administrative establishment for years, requesting them to construct check-dams inside the forest, so that water could be conserved for agriculture and wildlife to flourish. But nobody cares.”
Community leader are not committed: Insiders
For years, Chenchus, who have exclusive right to fish in the backwaters of the Krishna River, have not been able to claim it. Migrant fishermen working under a powerful ring of smugglers from AP continue to exploit the fish wealth of the Nallamala. Hope is bleak, as insiders feel that the leaders of the movements are themselves not committed and Chenchus presently lack the drive to either fight back or resist the attempts to dispossess them of their natural habitat which they have been protecting since time immemorial.
NGOs encourage them to join mainstream
NGOs working with them have been successful in grooming Chenchus to consider joining the mainstream - a scenario that puts them in direct competition with the socioeconomically empowered masses while leaving the forest open for exploitation of natural and hidden resources.