Tribals assault raiding police party

The Hindu, Sunday, January 30, 2000.

By Our Staff Reporter

ELURU, JAN. 29. The Kovvur Dy. S.P., Mr. D. Narsing Rao, and three oth­ers were hurt when tribals at­tacked a police party at Cheguntapalli near Polavaram on Saturday for raiding their village and arresting a few on the charge of gambling. The Tallapudi Sub-Inspector, Mr. Muralikrishna, the jeep driver, Mr. Mariadas, and a constable, Mr. Ramu, were injured in the attack along with the Dy. S.P. The tribals detained a Sub-Inspec­tor and three constables after the incident. They released them in the night following an assurance from the revenue authorities.

According to reports, a team of policemen consisting of four Sis and 20 constables, led by Mr. Narsing Rao, raided the village around noon today to check gam­bling and cock-fight. At Chegunta­palli, the police came across a - group of people playing cards and noticed a few fowls. As the police were returning with the arrested, tribals including women blocked the way by placing logs and at­tacked the police with sticks after throwing chilli powder.

The Dy.S.P and a constable sus­tained head injuries while two oth­ers were hurt in the face and hands. The police left behind two vehicles and returned with the in­jured. The tribals detained the Sub-Inspector, Mr. Raja Rao, and the three constables demanding an assurance from the revenue au­thorities that no case would be m booked against them for the incident. They demanded the pres­ence of MRO or RDO to negotiate the release of the policemen. The MRO proceeded to the village to hold discussions with the tribals. The RDO, Mr. Sridhar, was camp­ing at Polavaram.

The DIG, Mr. P. Chandrasekhara Reddy, who monitored the situation from here as the Superintendent of Police, Mr. Ravi Gupta was away, said two VAOs and the MRO, Mr. Bhaskara Choudary had pro­ceeded to the village to negotiate with the tribals. According to him, the police party raided the gam­bling den near Cheguntapalli and seized a few fowls and a liquor container. When the police tried to arrest the people responsible for the sport, they attacked the police­men. The police party was said to have refrained from using force to avoid a major confrontation. Many of the villagers were said to have been in inebriated condition.

According to the tribals, the po­lice had beaten up a handicapped tribal youth while raiding the vil­lage, which angered the villagers.

Tribal land dispute: Court Commissioner appointed

The Hindu, Sunday, February 6, 2000.

By Our Staff Reporter

ELURU, FEB. 5. The High Court has appointed Mr. K. Taranath, retired district judge, as the Court Com­missioner to oversee implementation of the proce­dure for verification of land titles in the agency areas of West Godavari district to resolve land disputes between tribals and non- tribals. The term of the Commissioner is six months and he should ensure completion of the process of land ownership ver­ification.

The judgment was delivered on a contempt pet­ition filed by the SAKTI, an Non-Government Orga­nization, which accused the administration of not complying with the court guidelines. According to a copy of the judgment made available here, Mr. Jus­tice B.S.A. Swamy noted deviation from the proce­dure laid down for the land ownership verification. The court directed the District Collector to make available necessary support staff and provision of transport, stay and a monthly honorarium of Rs.10000 for the Commissioner.

The court rapped the district administration on several counts, including its failure to convene meet­ings of the District-level committee at regular in­tervals, to place progress of verification before the committee, lapse in providing updated records to tribals and their representatives, preparing the minutes of the village committees and providing publicity to the dates of verification.

The court took exception to the way the adminis­tration gave explanation with regard to reopening of cases disposed of by the Settlement Officer at Kovvur and said the guidelines of the court were not taken in the right spirit on a sensitive issue like the land dis­putes, which worried the civilized society. (The reve­nue report said the district-level committee had no powers to reopen the cases disposed of by the Settle­ment Officer except the Director of Settlement).

The court held that it took pains to prepare the guidelines keeping in view the fact that the land transfer regulations were not implemented for five decades. But the revenue administration had not taken up the work entrusted to it in "right earnest". Hence, the court felt the need to .appoint an inde­pendent authority (commissioner) to oversee imple­mentation of the guidelines and give credibility to the whole exercise.

The court reiterated its stand on settlement cases and asked the Collector to place the cases before the district-level panel for examination and draw up 3 plan for reopening the cases wherever necessary. The court asked the administration not to entertain any disputes raised by the tribals over the survey conducted in 1933.

However, the tribals had right to take up the matter with the Special Deputy Collector (Tribal Welfare), the formal authority to look into LTR violations.

Tribal, non-tribal tussle for land enters new phase

The Hindu, March 28, 2000.

By Our Staff Reporter

Eluru, March 27: The tribal, non-tribal struggle for land in the agency of West Godavari has entered a new phase with a change in equations. The ad hoc arrangement outside the legal and political purview has helped both groups find supporters in the opposite camps. The division of people on ethnic lines no longer holds in the agency.

As per the compromise formula, the non-tribal farmers of Darbhagudem village transferred 20 per cent of land from their holdings to tribals temporarily. Tribals stopped interfering with the agriculture operations of non-tribals in 80 per cent of the land.

A panel, consisting of non-tribal and tribal leaders, was constituted to execute the peace formula: So far, the panel supervised transfer of about 435 acres to tribals under Darbhagudem revenue limits. The tribals of Panduvarigudem, Pathacheemalavarigudem, Tapasivarigudem and Laxmipuram shared the land which worked out to three acres for each family.

However, some of the non-tribal landowners in Laxmipuram refused to part with 20 per cent of the land on the ground that a "gentleman's agreement" was not binding on them. They termed the formula illegal. Recently, tribals raided the oil palm plot of a non-abiding farmer and destroyed the trees. The tribals subjected to harassment of others who failed to honour the ad hoc agreement by locking the farm-houses. The aggrieved land owners complained to the police accusing certain non-tribal leaders of being responsible for the raid.

The pro-agreement non-tribals and tribals joined hands to resist the arrest of non-tribal leaders. The non-tribals contrend that they bought peace with tribals and could cultivate their lands for the first time in four years. They said their patience had exhausted to waif for the administration to solve their problem within the legal purview, it is better to forgo 20 per cent of their land than lose several crop years, they said.

On the other hand, the non-tribal owners who were opposed to the compromise formula found supporters for their cause among tribals. The tribals who were denied land for not participating in the land struggle had gone into their fold. The compromise formula was honoured in Darbhagudem and Rachannagudem villages while the farmers of P. Rajavaram, Sirrivarigudem and Vankavarigudem refused to share their landholdings with tribals. They brought the issue to the notice of the Government indicating the role of non-tribal leaders in the matter.

In the recent developments, the tribals of Madakamvarigudem and Datlavarigudem had come under the influence of CPI(M), which started its activity in Jeelugumilli area. So far, the CPI(M) confined itself to the villages of Buttayagudem mandal while SAKTI, an NGO, operated in Jeelugumilli. The "boundary disputes" led to serious differences among the local tribals. The result of the realignment is that there are tribal groups which are against each other and non-tribal groups opposed to each other.

In case of disturbances, clashes are feared among tribals groups or groups consisting of tribals and non-tribals on both sides.

Sarpanch assaulted by tribals

The Hindu, Saturday, April 1, 2000.

By Our Staff Reporter

ELURU, MARCH 31. A group of tribals supported by the CPI(M) raid­ed the house of the non- tribal sarpanch of Darbhagudem panchayat, Mr. Alavala Venkata Red­dy, and assaulted him on Thursday evening. According to reports, the tribals mainly from I Madakamvarigudem, Datlavari-j gudem, P. Rajavaram and other villages, ransacked his house and damaged furniture, electrical fix-.tures and household articles. Later, they beat up Mr. Venkata ; Reddy and paraded him in the village.

The incident has fuelled enmity between the supporters of SAKTI, an NGO and the CPI(M) in Jeelugumilli villages. Ironically, both are supporting the tribal land struggle in the agency but differ­ences have cropped up because of overlapping of their activities in some villages of Jeelugumilli mandal. The tribals led by SAKTI and non-tribals led by Mr. Venka­ta Reddy entered into a peace agreement recently by sharing the land in the ratio of 80 and 20. Since then, both tribals and non-tribals had harmonious relations in Darbhagudem village and its hamlets. Reprisal from the SAKTI tribals is feared to avenge the at­tack on Mr. Reddy.

Differences had cropped up be­tween the CPI(M) and SAKTI since the agreement. In Darbha­gudem village, non-tribal farmers shared over 450 acres with the tribals of Panduvarigudem, Cheemalavarigudem, Tabasivarigudem and Lakshmipuram villages. Mr. Venkata Reddy played an ac­tive role in convincing the non-tribal farmers to buy peace with tribals by sharing their land with tribals.

Mr. Venkata Reddy alleged that the CPI(M) nursed a grudge against him because he had moti­vated the farmers for a peaceful agreement. He alleged further that the CPI(M) leaders had asked non-tribals to accept its leader­ship to manage without giving 20 per cent land to tribals.

Mr. Reddy said non-tribal land owners were not in a mood to listen to anybody because nothing worked except sharing the land with tribals. Farmers who transferred 20 per cent from their holdings were able to cultivate the remaining land for the first time in your years. Orchards w vested for the first time in recent years.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) leaders said the incident had nothing to do with the agreement they alleged that the tribals had gone to the house of Mr. Reddy to seek an explanation from him about the alleged conspiracy to attack the tribal leader of the party, Mr Madakam Venkateswara Rao.

THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS HYDERABAD

TUESDAY, -APRIL 25, 2000

20 injured as CPM-Sakti members clash

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

Jangareddigudem, April 24: Twenty people were injured in a clash between members of CPM and Sakthi Samstha at Madakamvarigudem in Jeelugumilli mandal of West Godavari district this evening.

Supporters of CPM and Sakthi Samstha concentrated at Madakamvarigudem and Pan-duvarigudem respectively.

Police were not able to reach Madakamvarigudem where the clash took place because of the tense situation.

Sakthi supports on Sunday kidnapped 27 Girijans when they were going for a meeting at Panduvarigidem.

CPM supporters in retaliat­ion held 28 members of Sakthi captive.

Following this, 400 CPM members armed to the teeth re­ached Madakamvarigudem.

About 500 members of Sak­thi Samatha, armed with arr­ows, axes and other weapons stationed themselves in tamar­ind groves at Panduvarigudem.

With the situation remain­ing tense, SP Kripananda Tripati Ujala reached Jeelugumilli at 1 in the afternoon.

Jangareddigudem DSP Subramanyeswara Rao is camping at jeelugumilli. A war like situation is prevailing in the mandal.