Adilabad: The ongoing Adivasi agitation for their rights has resulted in the community changing some of its social traditions and beginning to unite.
There are nine Adivasi groups in the state. In a fare instance, a marriage has been arranged between between a family belong to the Gond tribe and another from the Koya Adivasi tribe.
Generally, Gonds, Koya, Naikpod, Kolam, Mannewar, Thoti, Pardhan, Andh and Chenchu communities marry within their own groups.
The bride, Ms K. Sridevi, is the daughter of Ms Kotnak Laxmi, former president of Gondeeshwari Mahila Sangham, the first Adivasi mahila sangham, while the groom, Mr C. Ashok Kumar is the son of former MLA and zilla parishad chairperson Chanda Lingaiah Dora of Badradri district. Both Ms Sridevi and Mr Kumar are highly educated.
Mr Lingaiah Dora said the ongoing agitation was uniting the Adivasis and resulting in the abolishing of taboos regarding marriages. He said he was overwhelmed at the prospect of a marriage between the Koya and Gond tribes. The marriage will be performed on July 1.
