The Adivasi Hakkula Porata Samithi, also known as Tudum Debba, on Wednesday accused the State government of making alterations to the provisions of the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas Act (PESA) 1996 to suit its needs. This move has harmed the interests of aboriginal tribes who have been discriminated against for decades, the organisation opined.
Addressing a gathering of Adivasis at the review meeting on ‘my village my rule’ protest as part of the ethnic peoples’ movement to remove Lambada tribe from the list of Scheduled Tribes, Tudum Debba State president Soyam Bapu Rao said some provisions which were inserted in the PESA Act by the Union government to give justice to the aboriginals were altered.
He, however, did not specify the provisions which he alleged were changed.
The Adivasi leader demanded restoration of lands of ethnic people allegedly occupied by Lambadas. He also demanded filling up of vacancies of Contract Residential Teachers by Adivasis.
Announcing the protest programme in near future Mr. Bapu Rao asked the aboriginal people to submit memorandum in every Tahsildar office seeking information on the fate of their representations made on January 4.
“We will wait for 15 days for a reply before picketing the Utnoor Integrated Tribal Development Office (ITDA),” he said.
The Tudum Debba leader also exhorted his compatriots not to vote for TRS in the next election. Among those who attended the meeting were Mesram Nagnath. Former Chairman of Aboriginal Tribes Welfare Advisory Committee Sidam Bheem Rao, former Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency member Kanaka Tukaram and representative of Adivasi Teachers Union Mesram Shekhar Babu, were also present.
Meanwhile, the district administration and the ITDA conducted a day-long awareness programme on PESA Act in Adilabad for the benefit of community elders and youth. Experts from Hyderabad, former officials in the Tribal Welfare Department spoke on the subject of PESA, Forest Rights Act and Tribal Laws.
The attendance constituted of the chiefs of Adivasi Rai Centres, the Sarmedis and the village head or Patels. The awareness session was also attended by District Collector D. Divya and ITDA Project Officer S. Krishna Aditya.