A 15-year-old Sadala Raja Reddi is pursuing education with a desire to become a teacher. But, he has made up his mind not to leave his hamlet. Similarly, a 39-year-old Kondala Somi Reddi, who went to Rajamahendravaram for training, returned to his tiny village within three days.
They are determined not to leave their native place of Gudisa in Rampa Agency in East Godavari district despite several attempts by officials to rehabilitate them from the forest for better education and job opportunities.
Mr. Somi Reddi has told The Hindu: “A few years ago, the ITDA officials offered me training in auto-rickshaw driving in Rajamahendravaram. However, I left the place within three days as I could not stay away from the forest which has been the home for our family for generations.” He was one among the three youths who quit the training to return to their hamlet.
According to Mr. Somi Reddi, in 2008, all the families (nearly 20) held a gram sabha and decided not to leave their hamlet whatever offer comes from the government under the proposed rehabilitation plan.
When this correspondent visited Gudisa, which is nearly 65 km away from ITDA-Rampachodavaram headquarters, many village elders shared a common view -- “We have everything -- forest, streams, land, and above all memories of our ancestors -- to live in our hamlet and believe that we have to leave all these if we are rehabilitated.” The 2011 Census shows that the hamlet’s population was 92.
Joint family system
A village elder, Sikkodu Pandu Reddi, says: “We follow the joint family system. In each of the 15 houses, at least two families are living together.” Sadala Suggi Reddi and his wife Chandrakala opine: “We never had the thought of leaving this forest for any better fortune in future.”
In recent years, the ITDA laid 14-km pukka road connecting Gudisa with Vollangi village, indicating that the government would no longer wish to proceed with the idea of rehabilitating the families from Gudisa. Presently, the nearest upper primary school and primary health centre are nearly 14 km from Gudisa.
ITDA Project Officer Nishant Kumar says: “Now, there is no proposal for the rehabilitation of the hamlet. We are offering every service which they needed.”