The fear of being uprooted from their lands has come to haunt the peace loving aboriginal tribes in Adilabad, Kumram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial and Nirmal districts. The scare, among other things, has resulted in uniting the different tribes of the region and resulted in a protest movement ‘Jago Adivasi’ in which activists are creating awareness among the tribes about their rights.
A circular issued by KB Asifabad Collector M. Champalal directing issue of land records in favour of non-tribals cultivating government lands in Agency villages, in violation of land laws governing tribal areas, has triggered the scare. The Adivasis are also irked by the fact that Asifabad MLA Kova Laxmi, a Raj Gond, and MLC Puranam Satish personally distributed such pahanis at Jainoor a few days back allegedly for personal gains.
Subsequently, Mr. Champalal kept the circular in abeyance, the relevant orders were issued on August 22. The Adivasis however, are going ahead with their plan to stage a dharna in front of Jainoor Tahsildar office on August 24.
The controversial circular to Tahsildars in the district directed them to issue manual pahanis, as against electronic ones, by showing the names of cultivators in Bhoodan Poramboke or government lands so that they can avail crop loans. The trend of issuing manual pahanis was suspended in 2012 in order to prevent malpractices in land ownership in the Agency areas.
‘Violates 1/70’
“Crop loan is just the pretext based on which the non-tribals will claim rights on tribal lands,” opined Kanaka Ambaji Rao of Haimendorf Youth. “The circular also contravenes the Telangana Ordinance No. 1 of 1970 which clearly states that banks shall grant loans on the basis of Record of Rights in 1B, which is maintained electronically,” he pointed out.
The Raj Gonds, Kolams, Thotties and other tribes are now voicing their anger over the ‘stepmotherly’ treatment they have been getting since the Telangana Rashtra Samiti came to power. The government now stands accused of favouring non-tribals at the cost of the aboriginal tribes.
“We had voted for this government only in the hope that our problems would be solved. These developments indicate to the contrary,” observed Athram Bojju, headman of Marlavai village in Jainoor mandal.
Jainoor was home to legendary Anthropologist Christoph von Furer Haimendorf, when he conducted studies on Raj Gonds of Adilabad way back in the 1940s.