UTNOOR (ADILABAD): Adivasis followed through on their promise not to allow Lambadas into their gudems from June 1, by raising signboards and sentry posts in their villagers to keep Lambadas out in the old Adilabad district.
Three phone numbers of activists have been given on the signboards.
Villagers of Kothaguda, located just 4 km from the office of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) raised a black flag and put up a flexi-board declaring self-rule in their village in Utnoor mandal.
Lambada teachers in government schools were not allowed into the villages on Friday in many Adivasi gudems including Lothorre in Jannaram mandal, Kairdatva in Narnoor mandal, and Marlavai in Jainoor mandal in old Adilabad district. Government schools remain locked since the summer holidays and did not reopen on Friday.
It is not clear whether Telangana Formation Day will be observed in schools in Adivasi gudems on June 2. Adivasis hoisted a green flag in the premises of ITDA in Utnoor.
Police forces are being deployed as a precautionary measure to avoid untoward incidents. The police are trying to initiate talks with the Lambadas and Adivasis.
A team of Adivasi activists led by Purka Bapurao of Thudumdebba staged a dharna in front of the ITDA office on Friday, demanding that Lambadas should not be employed there as they are working against the welfare and development of Adivasis.
Adivasis in some parts of Jharkhand have launched a self-rule agitation and laid out their own boundaries, but this is a new experience for Adivasis in Telangana.
Tribal protest goes social
Adivasi netizens have changed their personal and group profile pictures and icons on social networking sites and replaced them with black flags inscribed with ‘Jai Adivasi' and 'Ma Urlo Ma Rajyam (we rule our towns)’, declaring self- rule.
The community is protesting the state government’s indifferent attitude towards resolving their problems.
Adivasis who are in government jobs or studying in universities and colleges are active on social networking sites. This educated section is spreading information about the agitation and the problems they face. They have obtained documents and GOs to prove one of their biggest grouses — that Lambadas gained back door entry into the Scheduled Tribes list in 1976.
The police had stopped internet services to the Agency areas in December-January last to stop this spread of information.
