CPI (M) FACES DELICATE SITUATION

By D. Chandra Bhasakar Rao

The Hindu. Jan 31, 1998

KHAMMAM, Jan, 30 .

In the run-up to the elections. The CPI (M) is facing a delicate situation in Khammam. The party has devoted two long years on twin issues - minimum wages and land distribution. The party also took a lead in the agitation of the Tribals for the restoration of their lands in the scheduled areas. Its stand, which is viewed more as an ideological one, has irked its own allies, TDP and CPI. They are the last to defend the party on issues which are against the wishes of the influential peasantry.

The Congress (I) has mounted the attack on the CPI (M) by dubbing it as anti-farmer. The peasantry had a bitter harvest this year in the scheduled areas. The Tribals agitated in almost all mandals of the Sathupalli Assembly segment staking claims for hundreds of acres of land which were being illegally enjoyed for decades together by the rich no0n-Tribals farmers.

The CPI (M) which was the lone political party to support the tribal agitation in the scheduled areas was held responsible for the tribal unrest. Voluntary organisation such as Sakti had identified over 19000 hectares of land to be distributed for the Tribals in Palvancha revenue division, thus creating more apprehensions among the non-tribal farmers in the area. As per the revenue records, 16, 755 acres of land was available for assignment to the landless in Khammam district.

The CPI (M) cadres have made a village wise survey of the land under illegal occupation and brought pressure on the administration for settlement of such cases. The effort made by the party to sort out the land issue resulted in alienating those sections which had for years been enjoying the Government land and surplus lands by keeping the revenue authorities at bay.

Besides this, the party wanted the implantation of the Regulation 1 of 1970 to safeguard the interest of the Tribals in the scheduled areas of the district. The non-Tribals have for long been demanding an amendment to relax the regulation which has imposed a blanket ban on the transaction of lands in favor of the non-Tribals in the area. All other political parties, including leaders of its allies CPI and Telugu Desam, had also supported the demand for amendment to regulation 1/1970.

Both the Tribals and non-tribals had organized meetings and rallies for and again the scheduled area regulation thus generating much heat well before the election. Though the CPI and Telugu Desam had been supporting the CPI (M) in the election as part of their electoral understanding, the Congress(I) hopes to enlist the support of the non-tribal sections across all political parties in the scheduled area mandals.

The CPI (M) had taken the fight for minimum wage to over 200 villages in the Sathupally assembly segment this year. It was successful in achieving a marginal increase in the wages for the farm workers. The well-to-do farms who had been thriving on commercial crops in Aswaraopet and Dammapet mandals, looked upon the CPI (M) sponsored activity as the main reason of the labour problems. Even a member of Paliament, Mr. Tamminenu Verabhadram, had paid due attention to organize the farm workers besides taking the wage struggles to remote areas.

Two tribal groups agree to call off stir

By Our Staff Reporter

DAMMAPET (Khammam dist), Dec, 10:

Sakti, a voluntary Organisation, which has been spearheading the tribal agitation for land, has been silenced, at least for the time being, in Khammam district. The two major groups of the organisation have come to terms with the administration.

Efforts are on to win over a dwindling band of tribal activists led by Mr. Soyam Chandrasekhar, which is still making a hue and cry over the land issue. The non-Tribals have been more or less assured of a trouble-free harvest season.

The dominant group of Sakti, led by Mr. Soyam Venkateswar Rao, local president of the Organisation, has given up the agitational Programme. Mr. venkateswar Rao has come closer to Telugu Desam party circles and the district breakaway group of Sakti, led by Mr. Punem Ramesh and Mr. Soyam Bojji, which had been a major source of trouble for non-Tribals, has agreed to desist from violent activities in the scheduled area villages.

The understanding with the second group of tribal activists became possible because of the week-long efforts made by the police and revenue authorities in the Dammapet area. A representative of the Good Samaritan Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bhadrachalam also helped the authorities in bringing the two Sakti groups together. He also assured the tribes of help to redress their problems. The administration has announced a package for he development of tribal villages in both Dammapet and Aswaraopet mandals.

Even as moves are afoot to reach an understanding with the Tribals, the non-tribal farmers have geared themselves for crop harvest. In a majority of the villages in the two mandals, paddy harvesting is in full swing. Tractors are being engaged in a big way to get the crop to being their habitation where it can be protected well.

The Police department has also stepped up patrolling in tribal villages following the destruction of a banana plantation in Malkaram village by the tribal protesters last week.

The authorities said stern action would be taken if the group led by Mr. Soyam Chandrasekhar of Kotturu village ventured into the farms of the non-tribals. Mr. Chandrasekhar and his followers were among the beneficiaries who were assigned land in the first round of distribution. Since the problem was solved in the village, the authorities have made it clear that they have no business to interfere in the matters of other areas. But Mr. Chandrasekhar is bent upon continuing the agitation and hah ignored the appeals of officials to give up the agitational methods.

A community feast organized at Ramchrupalli village in Awaraopet mandal on Wednesday was attended by both tribals of the two Sakti groups and non-tribal farmers from the various affected villages. But Mr. Chandrasekhar and his followers preferred to stay away. So was the case with the tribes of a few villages including Bhimunigudem. The feast, as th officials and Telugu Desam party leaders have put it, marked the end of hostilities between the tribals and non-Tribals in the area. The tribal problem started almost one year ago following a clash with the non-tribal farmers in the same village.

Earlier Addressing a public meeting in the village, the Minister for Major Irrigation, Mr. Tummala nageswara Rao, said the land issue was deliberately politicized by some vested interests. When the district administration was making sincere efforts to take away the Government lands from the illegal occupants and assign them to the landless Tribals, there was no need for any sort of protest from their side. He said the unity among the tribal group was a sign of the prosperous days ahead for them.

The district Collector, Mr. A. Giridhar, said over 4,000 acres of land had been distributed to Tribals so far. The district administration had initiated measures for developing the lands under the programmers sponsored by the ITDA. Employment opportunities were being created sufficiently for the benefit of tribal youth. About 400 tribal youths were being absorbed as village administrative officers. Teacher posts vacant in the tribal villages would be filed soon.

He said the efforts being made by administration to find a solution to the land issue would be successful only when it received cooperation from all sections of people. The Superintendent of Police, Mr. P.S.R. Anjaneyulul, the TDP district president, Mr. S. Himavantha Rao, the tribal leaders, Mr. S. Venkateswar Rao, Mr. K. Sriramulu Mr. Punem Ramesh, and Mr. Punem paulraj (Bhadrachalam Development Society) were among those who attended the meeting.