Adivasis to intensify movement against Lambadas

A few Adivasi organisations led by Adivasi Hakkula Porata Samithi, also known as Tudum Debba, on Sunday announced that they will fly black flags on June 2 when the rest of the State will be celebrating its fourth formation day.

The same day, they will also take out a silent rally from Indervelli martyrs column tying their mouth with a piece of black cloth.

Tudum Debba State president Soyam Bapu Rao made the declaration at the meeting attended by the district and mandal-level presidents of the samithi in Adilabad district held at the religiously important Keslapur Nagoba temple.

The meeting was held to decide the finer points of the resolve of the aboriginal people to intensify their movement demanding removal of Lambada tribe from the list of the Scheduled Tribes by declaring self-rule in their habitations under the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996.

Mr. Bapu Rao urged the Adivasis to also pitch their religious flags in fields which were encroached upon by Lambada farmers as a mark of liberation of the lands of the aboriginal people coinciding with the declaration of self-rule.

On May 28, the protesting Adivasis will submit a copy of resolution to Collectors of districts in Telangana where the ethnic people live, demanding them not to depute Lambada employees from 29 departments, including revenue and police, in their villages.

“We will stop the Lambada employees from entering our villages,” the Tudum Debba president announced.

“Self-rule is the only way to make this government see reason in our struggle,” he added.

Mr. Bapu Rao severely criticised Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan for ignoring the Adivasi-Lambada issue.

He said instead of resolving the problem, the government was using repressive methods and the Governor being ignorant of his Fifth Schedule powers, was content in offering prayers at Tirupati temple instead of intervening, he added.