Tribal present charter of demands to Collector

The Hindu, December 26, 1996.

From Our Staff Reporter

Eluru, Dec. 25 : A group of tribals led by the Agency Girijan Land Struggle Committee convenor, Mr. M. Venkateswara Rao, and other CPI(M) leaders, met the West Godavari District Collector, Mr. D. Ramakrishna, here on Wednesday, and discussed the land issue.

The negotiations did not make much headway because of the failure of Polavaram MLA, Mr. Punem Singanna Dora (TDP), who represents the agency area, to attend the meeting. Though a tribal, Mr. Singanna Dora distanced himself from his clansmen, as they see in him a staunch supporter of landlords. Much is read into his absence at the Wednesday meeting. However, the Collector told reporters that Mr. Dora might have failed to turn up due to unavoidable circumstances.

The tribals, numbering about 50, who came from 15 villages, presented a charter of demands, which included assigning of poramboke, waste and surplus lands to them at the earliest. They told the officials that in spite of giving D from pattas to the tribals, in some cases land was not assigned to them. They asked the Government to make efforts to get the stay vacated as it helped non-tribals to occupy land continuously. The Collector promised the tribals to expedite the process of land transfer with in the ambit of law. He tried to impress upon tribals the need to cooperate with the teams as land survey was crucial for arriving at a solution.

The reporters were barred from covering the meeting between tribals and officials. The CPI (M) leaders clarified that they were not against the exposure of issues but officials might feel delicate to answer their questions on some of the contentious issues.

Later talking to reporters, the CPI (M) district secretary, Mr. R. Satyanarayana Raju, the party MLA from Bhadrachalam, Mr. Kunja Bojji, and Mr. Venkateswara Rao said they asked the officials to exempt the Scheduled Caste farmers, who held small holdings from eviction.

The Indian Express , 06-09-1996

Tribals hand over 2 country bombs to police

Express News Service

Eluru, Sept 4: In an unprecedented development, tribals of Jeelugumilli mandal, through their courier handed over two country bombs to police here today.

Claiming that the bombs had been seized by them from non-tribals when both the clans clashed at Palacherla Rajavaram in the agency mandal in June last, a 52-year-old tribal Pootiem Oochappa of Barrenkalapadu, on behalf of the tribals who indulged in the clash, handed over a carry bag containing the bombs to Jangareddygudem DSP K Koteswara

Rao at the Police Guest House here.

Speaking to ENS, Oochappa said, "ever since the police refused to take the bombs, our clansmen had been safeguarding them by hiding them in fields or bushes. But recently, they had decided to surrender them and accordingly they had sent me to hand over the bombs to the police".

Taking the bombs into his possession, the DSP informed police superintendent Ravi Gupta of the development. When contacted, the SP said the bombs had been handed over to bomb squad for defusing them. A case would be registered after investigation, he added.

It may be recalled that in the backdrop of a land dispute, the tribals and non-tribals clashed

at Palacherla Rajavaram on June 29. A non-tribal farmer, Simhadri Gopala Rao, had sustained fatal injuries when the tribals attacked their rivals with bows and arrows. About 10 non-tribals and 12 tribals, four of them women, sustained minor to serious injuries.

The same evening, a group of tribesmen along with those injured in the clash, approached Jeelugumilli police station to lodge a complaint. They also produced a gunny bag containing country bombs stating that they had seized them from an unidentified person engaged by non-tribals. However, the police allegedly refused, to take possession them bombs nor registered a case.