JODEGHAT (ADILABAD): The Adivasis of Jodeghat have planned an ‘Adivasi Athmagourava Rally’ to Asifabad headquarters on October 12 to protest against the arrests of senior Adivasi leaders. Following the burning of a Lambaba woman’s idol at the tribal museum on October 5, the Kerameri police have arrested Jodeghat’s headman Pendore Mohan Rao, his brother Rajeshwar Rao and two others and remanded them to jail.
After 77 years, Jodeghat is once again witnessing a strong tribal unrest. The last recorded incident of tribal unrest was in 1940, when tribal leader Kumaram Bheem died fighting with the Nizam forces at Jodeghat.
A young Adivasi leader, who did not wish to be identified, said, “After the Nizam, it is now the city police that is cracking down on Adivasis, making Lambadas an issue.”
Recently, the Adivasis chased away a few Adivasi TRS leaders when they visited Jodeghat and also raised slogans against the ITDA in-charge project officer R.V. Karnan.
They alleged that the elected representatives and officials had not pay any attention towards the development of their village Jodeghat but had spent crores of rupees in building the museum in the name of tourism development.
Another Adivasi leader said. “We have realised the true colours of some officials who have projected themselves as sympathisers of Adivasis and have got publicity. This is the first time that the police have arrested Adivasi youth and leaders in connection with a Lambada issue. It seems to us that history is repeating at Jodeghat again.”
It is a well known fact that the Adivasis have strongly resented the creation of the new Telangana state. Their leaders have described this as a nightmare as the situation now poses a threat to their existence, they say.
A young Adivasi man said, “Non-tribals and Lambadas who have migrated and settled here in the Agency areas are in a much more advantageous situation than us.”
Meanwhile, the buzz in the political circles is that all this is a part of a political master-plan to belittle the current Adivasi MLA Kova Laxmi of Asifabad and to promote a Lambada candidate in the next general elections.
It is alleged that all of this is masterminded by a TRS MLC and a senior political leader, who recently joined the TRS.
The Adivasis allege that top district officials and ITDA officials are part of this conspiracy. The rally on October 12 will formally lodge their protest against the major injustice being done against them, they said.
