Tackling Telangana’s tribal land allotment

As Telangana state moves closer to Assembly elections next year, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi government is grappling with a major problem which brooks no delay. It has to find an answer to the podu lands issue as clashes occur between forest department staff and tribals with alarming regularity. At times forest officials or tribals get injured in the clashes. In the Bhadradri Kothagudem district itself, two such incidents took place. Last year, a pregnant staff member of the department had to run for her life when the 
tribals armed with weapons chased her in a village in Kagaznagar Mandal in Kumuram Bheem-Asifabad district. In 2019, Chole Anitha, a range officer, was beaten up by a mob of tribals, egged on by a local TRS leader. The disturbing picture and video of the officer being thrashed with long, stout sticks went viral on social media. 

As the government cannot remain a mute spectator, it has started identifying the tribals who had been inhabiting the forest lands before December 13, 2005, as laid down by the Central Forest Rights Act, 2006. The state government invited applications for conferment of rights but was shocked to see an avalanche. It received applications from about 3.5 lakh tribals for 13 lakh acres of forest land for podu (shifting) cultivation. Half of them, it is suspected, were non-tribals. 

Undeterred, the government issued a GO 140 to identify the tribals per the Central Act. As the GO mandated the constitution of a district-level coordination committee with people’s representatives as members to decide on the tribals’ rights, some challenged it in the Telangana High Court, which stayed its operationalisation. The High Court asked the government to issue a fresh GO to clear the confusion it has caused. For the conferment of rights on non-tribals, the Act prescribes a cumbersome procedure. 

There is no denying the fact that the podu lands problem is difficult to address even after the issuance of a new GO because of its sensitive nature. At the same time, it cannot be allowed to fester. It may not be difficult for the state government to do it transparently if it has political will. But the exercise is a double-edged weapon as it could turn many tribals and non-tribals against the TRS if they do not get land rights.