The Adivasis seem to be set for asserting their identity in the coming election if the mood of the gathering at a public meeting at Indervelli mandal headquarter in Adilabad district organised by Adivasi organisations on Monday is anything to go by. An estimated 4,000 to 5,000 strong gathering comprising of aboriginal people hailing from Khanapur, Kadem, Jannaram, Utnoor and Indervelli attended the meeting who endorsed the stand taken by leaders that an Adivasi candidate be fielded from Khanapur (ST) constituency as an Independent in case the Congress and BJP failed to nominate an ethnic person. Soyam Bapu Rao, the State president of Adivasi Hakkula Porata Samiti, more popular as Tudum Debba, gave a call to the aboriginal voters to be united and vote for an Adivasi candidate either put up by the opposition parties or fielded as an Independent, and refuse to vote for any Lambada candidate.
‘Stay away from WhatsApp’
Mr. Rao cautioned Adivasi youth in old united Adilabad district of the ills of staying glued to social messaging platform WhatsApp. He said spending more time on WhatsApp is resulting in circulation of fake messages which is harming Adivasi movement. The advanced election to the State Assembly has come during the thick of the movement of the aboriginal people to expel Lambada tribe from the list of Scheduled Tribes in the State as they stand accused of making it to the list through incomplete process. Speakers at the meeting, of whom there were many, reiterated that they should be united to end the hegemony of Lambada candidates over the Khanapur constituency. The constituency was created in 1978 and has been represented by Lambada legislators during all Assembly tenures barring the 1989-94 period when Kotnak Bheem Rao, who had served as Tribal Welfare Minister, served as MLA.
Among Lambadas, Jadhav Ambaji was twice MLA winning the 1978 and 1983 election followed by A. Govind Naik, who won the seat in 1985, 1994 and 2004. Ramesh Rathod and his wife Suman won the seat in 1999, 2008 (byelection) and 2009 and A. Rekha Naik was the member of the dissolved Assembly from this constituency.