KAKINADA: Adivasi people of Bhimavaram village in Kunavaram mandal of Chinturu division and Buttayigudem village in Yetapaka mandal of Alluri Sitaramaraju district on Tuesday questioned Rampachodavaram MLA Nagulapalli Dhanalakshmi why she did not oppose the resolution of YSRC government in State Legislative Assembly to include Boya and Valmiki communities in the list of scheduled tribes.
Under the banner of Adivasi Samkshema Parishad, Girijana Sangham and other organisations, tribal activists stopped her convoy and tried to obstruct her meetings, where she distributed benefits to members of self-help groups.
They said while the inclusion of Boya and YSRC communities will serve the political interests of the YSRC party, it would harm the interests of the existing communities already on the ST list. The Adivasi protesters underlined that Boyas and Valmikis will end up cornering the benefits of reservations in the future, as the existing STs are socially and economically backward. They would be unable to complete against Boyas and Valmikis.
They demanded that MLA Dhanalakshmi resign as an MLA post or oppose the resolution passed by the assembly if she wants to get elected again.
The YSRC MLA clarified that she and seven tribal MLAs have discussed the issue. They have decided to bring the grievance of existing STs to the notice of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. Dhanalakshmi pointed out that a similar resolution has been passed during the Telugu Desam regime when N. Chandrababu Naidu had been the chief minister.
She suggested to agitators and Adivasi organisations that they submit representations in this regard, which she would forward to Jagan for his consideration.
The agitators also blockaded the highway at Bhimavaram village on the same issue. Those who participated in the protests included Adivasi Samkshema Parishad division general secretary Kunja Anil Kumar, Sitaram of Girijana Sangham and leaders of CPM and other organisations.
