Raising objection to the Supreme Court’s quashing of the order providing 100% reservation to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates for the posts of teachers in the schools in the Scheduled Areas, the tribals in the Visakha agency observed a one-day bandh on Tuesday.
The bandh call given by the Girijan Sangham, left parties and other Opposition parties such as the TDP and the Congress and supported by the CPI (Maoist), evoked a good response. The bandh was near total and peaceful in all the 11 mandals in the agency area of Visakhapatnam district. All shops and establishments remained closed and all modes of transport, including the APSRTC buses, remained off the road.
Security beefed up
Since the Maoists supported the bandh call, the police intensified the surveillance and stepped up the combing operation by deploying more forces.
Additional forces from the AP Special Police and Greyhounds were deployed to secure the sensitive areas in the 11 mandals.
“We cannot allow anyone to take advantage of the bandh. All high-value targets and those in the Maoist hit-list have been advised to remain at home and security has been beefed up for them and at all vital installations,” said Superintendent of Police Attada Babujee.
The police have set up about 15 check-posts to curtail the movement of people in the Visakha agency.
‘Tribal rights affected’
“The Supreme Court’s judgement is against the tribal rights and we will oppose it till the State government goes for a review and passes an ordinance rejecting the judgement,” said Killo Surendra of the Girijan Sangham.
In the Visakha agency there were about 800 tribal schools and close to 1,400 government schools. Most of the teachers were from the tribal community and if the Supreme Court’s order was implemented, it would be disadvantageous to tribals. The order was also against the letter and spirit of the Schedule V of the Constitution,” said V.S. Krishna of the Human Rights Forum.
CPI(M) State Secretariat member Ch. Narasinga Rao said that the purpose of providing 100% reservation for tribals was to improve the eduction system in the Schedule V areas, solve the issue of absenteeism and provide employment to tribal youth.
According to Araku MLA Chetti Phalguna the matter had already been brought to the notice of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and it is learnt that the State government is taking steps to file a review.