Adilabad: Top officials have been caught in the crossfire between Adivasis and Lambada communities in old Adilabad district, while some leaders are fanning the flames that have been ignited following the disappearance of a statue, for political gains.
The Adivasis point out the rationale behind establishing Banjara Bhavan and Adivasi Bhavan in Hyderabad while a solitary museum for tribals was established at Jodeghat by the state government even after knowing the existing cultural differences between the Adivasis and Lambadas.
There are allegations that some Adivasi leaders burnt a Lambada woman’s statue kept in Tribal Museum late on October 5.
The Adivasis have been demanding the state and Central governments remove Lambadas from the ST list in which they were included in 1976.
The Adivasis also found fault with the collectors for not declaring a public holiday on Kumaram Bheem’s birth anniversary, while a holiday was declared for the on 278th anniversary of Sevalal Maharaj.
Adivasi leaders allege that collector K. Champalal was biased against the community while extending support to Lambadas.
Jodeghat is a historical place connected to Adivasis and their sacrifices for ‘Jal, Jungle and Zameen’ and Lambadas have no connection with the place historically but officials accommodated the Lambada woman’s statue in the museum, while no statue of Gonds, Kolams and Thoti and Pardhans and Naikpod was housed in the same museum.
Adivasi leader Madavi Venkatesh of Utnoor said top district officials made deliberate attempts to insult their community and its leaders in the recent past. He said that the collector convened review meeting with tribal leaders in connection with Sevalal Maharaj Jayanti, but the same enthusiasm was not shown in connection with Kumaram Bheem’s death anniversary.
It may be recalled that recently, some Lambada leaders had boycotted a meeting convened by the in-charge ITDA, project officer R.V. Karnan in connection with the ‘Giri Ustav’ celebrations.
