Kidnap episode leads to tension in tribals village

By our Staff Reporter

The Hindu, April 14, 2001

ELURU, APRIL 13:

An eerie silence prevails at Tati Ramannavarigudem of Rachanngaudem gram panchayat in West Godavari district after the arrest of 11 tribals and the subseque4nt kidnap of a five - member family of a farmer by irate tribals on Sunday. The village has a population 80 families.

Despite police assertion that the kidnap episode was resolved and the farer's family released the next day after a 12-hours ordeal in the nearby forest, still languishing in the Rajahmundry Central Jail.

The raging dispute over 150 acres of cashew orchards located at Tati Ramnnavarigudem. Lankala palli and Rachannagudem snowballed into an open confrontation between the tribals and non-tribals. Following a complaint by the farmers of Rachannagudem that they were being prevented from picking up cashew seed from 'their fields' by the tribals, a posse of policemen descended on Tati Ramannavarigudem on Sunday and rounded up 13 tribals, including women. They were charged with trespassing into cashew fields.

A 45-year old tribal woman, Ramulamma, reportedly suffered a fracture on her hand when the police beat her up with a baton. She is undergoing treatment at the Eluru Government General Hospital . Naram Lakshmi, who was in a state of advanced pregnancy, had also been arrested.

The tribals raided the house of the farmer, P. Swamiji, and kidnapped his family members, as an offshoot of the police action. However, the tribals relented and let off Swamiji and his family members Venu, Sivaramakrishna, Ekanandam and Sijaji on Monday following the intervention of the tribals and the Rachannagudem sarpanch, Mr. M. Venkateswara Rao.

Two tribal women were let off on Monday after a day's detention in the Jeelugumilli police station as a quid pro quo for the release of the captives.

Tati Ramannavarigudem wears a deserted look for Lankalapalli and Tati Ramannavarigudem. The tribals from these two hamlets find the going tough due to the heavy presence of police there.

'Even of we seek work in the fields, we have to pass through Rachannagudem. For that matter, for even posting ha letter, we have to go through that village. We are unable ti get access to Rachannagudem due to the presence of Police,' said Madakam Mutyalu, a tribal Over 150 acres of cashew fields and 80 acres of mango plantations are the bone of contention between the tribals and non-tribals in Rachannagudem, Lankalapalli and Tati Ramannavarigudem. The farmers have been picking the cashew seed under police protection.

Claiming to be in possession of' genuine' documents establishing their ownership of the lands, the tribals allege that the non-tribals do not have such bonafide documents.

In a bid to resolve the dispute a field survey was conducted some time ago by revenue personnel at the instance of the then Collector, Ms. Vasudha Misra. It failed to yield any tangible result. To quote Ms, Sunnam Varalakshmi, an activist of Sakti, a non-government organization working in the area, the revenue officials decided upon the legitimacy of lands going by only the survey numbers produced by the non-tribals, 'We want a fresh survey to be conducted by the officials involving the tribal representatives,' she said

Tribals yet to receive land despite high Court order

The times of India News Service

The Times of India March 11, 2001

HYDERABAD :

Nearly 600 acres of land that was to be handed over to tribals in three mandals of West Godavari district continues to be in Possession of non-tribals as local revenue officials apparently have no time it implement eviction orders.

The land transfer has been pending for a long time depite clear instructions that about 600 acres, spread over Buttaigudem, Polavaram and Jeelugumilli mandals, be transferred to tribals after eviction non-tribals. However, local officials had expressed their helplessness to proceed on the matter as they were unable to find adequate time to implement the orders.

Interestingly, this aspect of the almost intractable land disputes had come to light in June last when mandal revenue officers informed the special deputy collector on the problems they face after being asked to explain the delays. Though this happened more than eight months ago, no progress has been made till date on land transfer.

Incidentally, even the district level peace committee - specially set up to solve such disputes in a transparent manner and comprising tribal, non-tribal, police, revenue, political parties an non-governmental organizations representatives - could not take up the issue as it did not meet even once last year.

According to P. Siva Ramakrishna, director of Sakti, a voluntary organization working for the uplift of tribals in the area, the slow pace of implementation of clear cut orders such as this was just one of the problems plaguing the tribals and non-tribals alike in the area.

For nearly everything, those working with the tribals from various NGOs of or individually are being forced to approach the courts, even for implementation of decisions taken by the peace committee which has administrative sanction, he said.

This has been the experience of T. Krishnaveni, a member of the peace committee who sought the implementation of a decision taken at the 1999 committee meeting on making available land records for scrutiny by the members.

Though the district collector ordered that her request be complied with, she did not get them until she moved the court where she was provided with an illegible photo copy of the land records. The second time she goy a better copy but now plans to move the court again to seek official assistance in deciphering the records, Siva Ramakrishna said.

In the latest such incident, it was left for State Chief Justice S.B. Sinha, and Justice S.R. Nayak to order the district collector, West Godavari "to issue pattas to those who are eligible therefore without t5aking into consideration the fact that the contempt case is pending in as much as by reason of pendency of such proceedings, no embargo has been placed upon the district collector to distribute such pattas".

According to Siva Ramakrishna, the order came on in a case pertaining to 130 acres that was to be distributed among tribals after the government took into its possession the same from a landlord. Sakti approached the court for redressal as pattas were not being issued to tribals as the landlord had approached the court and obtained a stay. "The biggest problem is that officials do not implement orders as soon as they receive them thereby giving a chance to people to file fresh cases leading to intractable litigation," Siva Ramakrishna said.

Land disputes: prohibitory orders in tribal habitations

By Our Staff Reporter

The Hindu October 27, 2001

ELURU, OCT 26:

Fear stalks the tribal habitations in the agency of West Godavari district following the police intervention in the land disputes between the tribals and non-tribals.

Section 144 has been promulgated by the police authorities in nearly 40 tribal hamlets in the three mandals of Polavaram, Buttayagudem and Jeelugumilli for quite some time in the wake of attempt by the police to evict the adivasis from the lands under their enjoyment allegedly in favour of the non-tribal farmers.

A task force with special powers, headed by a Circle Inspector and a sub-inspector, has been constituted by the district police to exclusively deal with the tribal conflict in the agency.

According to information, the tribal-police clash ensued in Vankavarigudem, Jaggisettigudem and Nutiramannagudem a few days ago when the police resorted to damage of crops on the lands under the enjoyment of tribals on the pretext of executing 'Court orders'.

12 tribals held

The reports said 12 tribals, including six women, were arrested at Nutiramannapalem when they resisted the police action. As per the reports, parts of the agency are presently languishing in the Rajahmundry Central Jail in connection with the land disputes in eh current crop season. They were reportedly implicated in non-bailable cases under the Arms Act and section 307 (ate pt to murder) of the IPC when they protested against their eviction by the police forcefully from their fields allegedly at the behest of the non-tribal farmes. To quote Mantena Sitaram, who is heading the CPI-M affiliated agency Girijana Snagham, the tribals have stopped visiting the weekly shandies, fearing the police.

Non-tribal farmers are reportedly using the police to take possession of the lands which have been under the enjoyment of tribals for over 10 years with the strength of 'court orders' leading to pitched battles in the current crop season.