Tension in Komaram Bheem’s village as adivasis protest over podu lands

ADILABAD: Tension prevailed on Monday in Asifabad’s Route-Sankepalli village, where revered tribal leader Komaram Bheem was born, after forest officials prohibited the adivasis from farming podu lands on the grounds that the said land was forest land.

Raising the slogan ‘Kothadi Kottam- Pathadi Idvam’ (We won’t give up cultivating podu lands and we won’t cultivate new podu lands), the adivasis said they have been cultivating these lands for a very long time and claimed that forest personnel were intending to plant trees in their podu lands under Haritha Haram.

Further, they claimed that despite harassment from the forest personnel and officials during the previous three years, they had not given up on cultivating the podu lands. The protesters also reminded that the great adivasi fighter Komaram Bheem was from Route Sankepalli and that he fought for the rights of the adivasis on the slogan of Jal, Jangal, and Jameen.

Under the auspices of Girajana Adivasi Sangham, the adivasis also organised a dharna in front of the Mancherial collectorate and demanded that the state award pattas to the podu lands they have been cultivating for a long time.

CPM state secretary Thammineni Seetharam participated in the protest while Congress leaders led by DCC president K. Vishwaprasad visited the village and extended support to the agitating adivasis.

Under the leadership of Sarpanch Kinaka Jugadirao, the adivasis of Thandra village in Utnoor mandal have issued a unanimous resolution requesting the forest officials not to plant trees on the podu lands of 21 acres on the Thandra Shivararam. Leaders of the Thudum Debba led by the president of Adilabad, Godam Ganesh, paid a visit to the village and spoke with the locals. The village meeting included participation from the forest employees.