The Telugu Desam government is trying to create discord among people of different regions and castes for its political mileage and its attempts to include Boya Valmiki and Vaddera castes in the ST list would be opposed, Girijana Sangam leaders have said.
The State Committee leaders convened a meeting here on Monday. The meeting felt that the two castes do not qualify for inclusion in the ST list but the State government was keen on it as it had included it in the party’s election manifesto.
These two castes, which were presently in BC-A list, have a combined population of 50 lakhs in Andhra Pradesh. Their inclusion in ST list would result in severe injustice to 34 tribes in the State, Sangam State president Midium Babu Rao, general secretary Pachipenta Appalanarsa and vice president Kolaka Lakshmana Murthy told the media after the meeting.
They recalled that the Centre had appointed Justice Lokur Committee in the past for the inclusion of new castes in the ST list. The sangam leaders alleged that the Boya Valmiki and Vaddera castes do not exhibit tribal culture, traditions and customs as defined by the committee.
Mr. Babu Rao, who is a former MP, said the State government shoudl appoint a committee to study the living conditions of the castes in question and send the report to the President for his approval. The Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) should pass a resolution approving the study on inclusion of new castes in the ST list by the Tribal Culture Research and Training Institute (TCR & TI) and preparation of an integrated report.
Instead of making such efforts, the Telugu Desam government was trying to fool the people of the two castes by making promises in view of the forthcoming elections.
The sangam leaders said the two castes have no connection to ST communities. They said already the tribal people were agitated on their quota of reservation going down in view of the inclusion of a number of castes in AP.
They said reservations were not being implemented properly in view of the government allowing private players in the sphere of education, medical and health and employment.
They alleged that the government was neglecting provision of education and employment to tribal youth. It was not even making efforts to prevent the entry of ‘fake tribals’, who were securing government jobs with fake caste certificates.
The sangam leaders demanded that the State government should immediately withdraw its proposal to include Boya Valmiki and Vaddera castes in ST list.