ADILABAD: Political parties are focusing attention on the podu land issues with a view to pocketing adivasi votes. In the latest, the YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP) is conducting a meeting with adivasi and girijana leaders at Lotus pond on October 4, when party president Y.S. Sharmila will interact with some of the intellectuals and leaders from these communities.
The YSRTP is planning to prepare an Adivasi Declaration and a Podu Lands Declaration and feedback would be taken from the adivasi and girijan leaders on these. The party is mobilising leaders from various Adivasi organisations from the undivided Adilabad district area for the meeting.
The Congress has organised a Dalit Gairjana Atma Gourava Dandora at Indravelli and at some other places while the BJP organised a Telangana Liberation Day meeting at Nirmal, focusing on Adivasi icons and their fight against the British. Now, it is the YSRTP’s turn to focus on Adivasis and their rights.
All major political parties feel that taking up the podu land issue would fetch political mileage to their parties in the name of fighting for Adivasi rights.
Given this background, the ruling TRS government has constituted a cabinet sub-committee on podu land issue and studying the problem. The panel is likely to give its recommendations to the state government.
TRS leaders say Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was serious about the podu lands issue and is issuing pattas to the podu lands that the adivasis have been cultivating for a long time.
The Adivasi Girijana Sangam affiliated to the CPIM alleged that the Chief Minister constituted the cabinet sub-committee with the sole aim of hoodwinking the Adivasis. He has been promising to issue pattas for the podu lands but no such thing has happened so far, its leaders say.
The YSRTP is arranging vehicles for the adivasis and girijans to come to Hyderabad for the meeting with Sharmila.
