Woman officers afraid of Gothi Koyas, not animals

KHAMMAM: For woman forest officers, working in Bhadrachalam jungles is a challenge. Tejavath Anusha, a beat officer, faced attacks from podu cultivators thrice in the past and each time she managed to survive.She was beaten up by podu cultivators when she was working at Chapalapalli forest limits in Mulakalapalli mandal in Bhadradri-Kothagudem district. Not just Anusha but more than 50 women staff, from beat officers to range officers, are living in constant dread of being attacked by the Gothi Koya tribals.

Says Anusha: “Every day, it is a life and death proposition. We do not know where the danger would come from. We are not scared of tigers or panthers. But we are afraid of human beings, I mean Gothi Koyas who are the most violent among the tribes.”

‘Shift them to plains’

Stating that the death of Srinivasa Rao has created panic among them, she says: “We have lost confidence that we can live for long, working in these jungles. As long as Gothi Koyas are there, there is no safety for us. The government should persuade the Gothi Koyas to shift to plains so that we can do our duty without the fear of anyone attacking us.”

Anusha says they dread human beings more than wild animals. “We are not asking for firearms. We need protection from Gothi Koya tribals. Unfortunately, we are not getting any protection from other departments, particularly the police and revenue when incidents like Srinivasa Rao’s murder take place,” Anusha laments. She urged the government to sanction pattas to the tribals who were cultivating podu lands and create an awareness among them that they have to protect the forests and if they do not, they would face harsh punishment. “All departments should work in coordination. We need support from them very badly,” she says.

‘They are very violent’ 

More than 25,000 Gothi Koya tribals migrated to Telangana from Chhattisgarh in 2004. The forest has a thick canopy of green foliage which is ideal for them to carry on agriculture operations by destroying it in phases. They have been pursuing podu cultivation not near villages but deep inside forests, damaging the green cover, say some officials.

N Radhika, another beat officer says: “Sometimes we need to go alone into the forest. Till now we did not feel scared. But we do now after the way Forest Range Officer Srinivasa Rao has been hacked to death.”
Says BVVSK Prasad, a forest ranger: “After Gothi Koyas entered our district from neighbouring Chhattisgarh, our problems began. They do not listen to us. They do not follow any rules. They are very violent and do not hesitate to go to any extent to have their way.”