Parties instigating tribal youth

Ominous signs from agency areas in W.Godavari

The Indian Express, January 2, 1997.

Buttayagudem (W.G), Jan 1: There are ominous signs. The agency areas of Jeelugumilli, Buttayagudem and Polavaram mandals are witnessing activities having potential of turning violent at short notice in the new year. Those calling shots are political; parties, specially of leftist and radical persuasion. Their 'unsolicited' intervention in the age-old land disputes between tribals and non-tribals is causing tension. They are instigating tribal youths to assert themselves. The bone of contention is the government land.

Though the 50,000 and odd tribals are roughly equal in number to the non-tribals, they are a dis-organized lot, unable to keep pace with the day-to-day developments in the modern society which has attracted the intervention of the parties in the burning dispute. But, it appears, instead of helping in an amicable settlement, the political parties are aggravating tension among all circles by instilling a fighting spirit among the tribal youths who are by nature timid and ignorant.

Reports of tribals whisking away paddy crop belonging to non-tribals at the point of bows and arrows are common. The spurt of such activities speak volumes for the audacity of the tribals who were, till recently, ignorant and innocent folks. The sudden change in the attitude of the clansmen can be attributed to their so-called 'leaders'.

While some political parties are directly involved in the struggle, some are operating behind the scene. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) went a step ahead by organizing public meetings even in remote hamlets.

Scores of clansmen called on District Collector D. Ramakrishna three or four tyimes during the last quarter of the year.

According to a senior police official, the banned Janasakthi group of Naxalites, led by Midiam Bhulakshmi, is actively involved in motivating the tribals in certain pockets like Venkatareddygudem under Polavaram mandal.

The Rythu Coolie Sangham, under the leadership of Sudhakar and Indla Subbareddy, already started campaigning that it would separate and distribute to the tribals about 3,000 acres reportedly belonging to the then zamindars, but registered under 'benami names' in Hukumpeta in the same mandal.

The non-tribals, too, represented their grouse to the collector several times last month. They sought police protection for their standing crop.

Some influential landlords are reportedly making frequent visits to the State capital to convince the top brass of the Government to safeguard their interests.

Revenue Dept's Role: Under the circumstances, the role of the revenue department assumes importance in resolving the dispute. But, it appears to have failed to live up to the expectation. Tribal Welfare Commissioner T.S. Appa Rao, during his visit to Boosarajupalli mandal on December 27, chided Mandal Revenue Officer D.V. Ramana Reddy and Revenue Divisional Officer Sarada Devi who tried to explain why the survey of disputed lands was going on at a snail's pace in the mandal. The two officials could not answer dozens of posers by the commissioner about the irregularities in maintenance of land records. The commissioner was astomished that only 25 acres of land was in the possession of tribals as against the official record of 150 acres.

The latest incident took place yesterday at Lakshmipuram in Jeelugumilli mandal. The revenue officials cancelled a patta on 2.25 acres that was accorded to a tribal woman Naram Pentamma in June 1996 and granted an alternative site of 1.61 acres belonging to an SC. The enraged tribal community pounced on the local MRO Bhrathudu. They raised slogans that the MRO and other officials had taken bribes from the non-tribals.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Jangareddygudem DSP J. Narasimha Reddy said, "what the tribals can do except following the political wizards when there was no one to hear their woes. Most of the tribal youths are forcibily being involved in the struggle whose aftermath will be hard to digest. Who bears the responsibility if any untoward incident happens?"

A massive public meeting under the aegis of the CPI"(M) is on the cards. According to party sources, the meeting will be held at Buttayagudem on January 3 in which Tripura Tribal Welfare Minister Jatin Chowdhury is participating.

The party has been deeply involved in mobilizing the tribals for the meeting which would be attended by at least 10,000 tribals from all the three mandals.

Govt. asked to restore lands to tribals

Buttayagudem (West Godavari Dist.), Jan. 3: Tripura Tribal Welfare Minister Jitendra Chowdary today urged the State Govt. to take steps for distribution of agricultural lands to the tribals in the agency areas West Godavari district. Also, The Government should come up with a rehabilitation package for their uplift.

Addressing the maiden convention of the Agency Girijan Land Struggle Committee here, he said not withstanding the enactments and the Constitution. The tribals, deciding those in other agency areas in the country, were being harassed by feudal lords, thanks to the disinterest of the United Front Government nor had the various Central Governments had initiative towards the implementation of land reforms all over the country since Independents.

The sons of the soil, whether they were tribals or belonged to other economically backward classes, were being oppressed in many States including Tripura. The landlords of Madhya Pradesh had gone a step[ ahead by grabbing the lands belonging to tribals violating the law. More than 65 percent of the population comprising zamindars and feudal lords under the acgis of 'bourgeois' governments at the Centre.

The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution which entrusts several rights to tribals was being implemented in very few States. The Government should take initiative enabling the execution of the schedule in oher States.

Mr.Chowdhary conceded that unlike the previous AP regimes, the Telugu Desam Government was keen on finding a solution to the problems in the agency areas of the district. Hence, the tribals should unite with the landless people including those belonging to the Scheduled Castes and bring more pressure on the Government for meeting their demands at the earliest.

Demanding immediate resolution of the land problems, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) State General Secretary Koratala Satyanarayana said the tribals were being denied amenities like education and medicine. A number of dispensaries and schools has no doctors and teachers.

As many as 300 tribals in the three mandals of Polavaram. Buttayagudem and Jeelugumilli had succumbed to gastroenterilis last year due to lack of medical facilities.

Taking advantage of the innocence of tribals. Several landlords had grabbed thousands of acres. Currently, they were holding about 50 per cent of the land and the hapless Girijans were cking out their livelihood as lessces or agricultural labourers.

Bhadrachalam MLA Kunja Bojji, the struggle committee convenor Madakam Venkateswara Rao. CPI(M) leader R. Satyanarayana Raju, Rythu Cooli Sangham district president M. Eswaraiah and secretary M. Seetharam spoke.

It was unanimously resolved at the convention that the Government should take immediate steps for distribution of lands occupied by the landlords in violation of the Land Transfer Regulation Act; 'One of Seventy' should be strictly implemented; the assessed waste dry (AWD) lands that were in the possession of landlords should be distributed to tribals; surplus land should be identified and accorded to the tribals under the Land Reforms Act; the lands for which form 'D' pattas had been issued should be identified and distributed to the beneficiaries; 'Stays' in various courts should be vacated and the disputed lands be distributed among the tribals and the tribal welfare laws amended to prevent such anomalies; a comprehensive survey initiated in all the agency areas and the land records be published.

Disputed lands in agency villages to be surveyed

THE INDIAN EXPRESS

January 11, 1997.

Express News Service.

Buttayagudem (west Godavari dist), Jan-9 : Tension has once again gripped the agency areas in and around this mandal with reports of thefts and stamping of paddy and tobacco crops belonging to non-tribals by the tribals flooding various police stations. The situation has been keyed up in the entire mandal with both the clans asserting their controversial ownership over the government and assessed waste dry (AWD) lands.

However, the district administration swung into action today. The District Collector, SP and other officers rushed here and brought about a shaky truce. It was decided that would be surveyed from tomorrow.

Unable to digest the reported thefts of crops, 25 non-tribals staged a fast-unto-death last evening demanding immediate protection of the crops raised by them. The non-tribal farmers including G. Sobhanachalam, T. Krishna Murthy, K. Prabhakar Rao, V. Durga Rao and D. Basavaiah staged the hunger strike in front of the MRO office here.

Speaking to The Indian Express today, Mr Sobhanachalam said "even after repeated assurances by the revenue and police officials, the Girijans have been illegally reaping our crops. They should immediately return the produce or compensate for it in cash. One of our youths G. Rambabu was threatened today by some tribals if he entered his own (controversial) land".

Informed of the situation that was about to explode into a serious law and order problem, District Collector D. Ramakrishna, Eluru range DIG G. Alfred, Joint Collector M. Subrahmaniam, Police Superintendent M. Punna Rao and ASP Lakshmi Reddy arrived here with a view to averting any untoward incidents. The collector assured the agitating farmers that protection would be given to their crops. He convened a meeting of the leaders of both the groups at the government high school where a compromise was reached between them.

The collector said the disputed lands in each village would be surveyed from tomorrow in the presence of a special deputy collector. The services of eight such officials were being utilized for the job who would be assisted by 72 surveyors.

Already, two officials, Mr N. Butchi Reddy of Adilabad and Mr Raju Narasaiah of Warangal, have arrived here. They would carry out the survey at Boosarajupalli and Reddyganapavaram respectively.

OATH TAKEN Tribal leader Madakam Venkateswara Rao and the representatives of non-tribal farmers G. Lakshmana Rao, K. Krishna Murthy, K. Reddy Babu and K. Ananda Rao vowed before the collector that they would not resort to unlawful activities.

Even as the meeting concluded, the agitating farmers pounced on the joint collector who visited the hunger strike camp at the MRO office. Demanding immediate action, the farmers, including some women, posed several queries. They shouted slogans in protest against the indifferent attitude of the administration. Some of them even closed the gates of the MRO office preventing the official form leaving by his car. It was only after the intervention of their leaders that the striking farmers gave up.