A recent confrontation between the Adivasi leaders and the Rampachodavaram Integrated Development Agency (ITDA) Project Officer (PO) in Andhra Pradesh has allegedly led to increased hostility with the administration. The Adivasis allege that they are hesitant to approach the ITDA’s office regarding any administrative work following the incident. “Previously we would regularly visit the office, making queries about the government welfare schemes and other land-related issues. But ever since the confrontation we have lost confidence in the office and are avoiding visits, as we are convinced that nothing productive would come out of it,” says Boji Reddy, district president of Adivasi (Girijana) Cultural and Welfare Association. However, asserting that they would soon meet the Project Officer, Reddy says, “We may have lost faith in the officer, but we will meet him soon, reiterating our demand to revoke the case against Kangala Srinivasulu.”
Kangala Srinivasulu is a teacher and the district president of Adivasi Employees Welfare and Cultural Association. He was booked by the Rampachodavaram police on August 11, under sections 448 (punishment for house-trespass) and 186 (obstructing a public servant from discharging his duties) of the Indian Penal Code, based on the complaint of Tahsildar K Lakshmi Kalyani.
On August 9, on the occasion of World Indigenous Peoples Day, at the event held by the ITDA office, Srinivasulu allegedly made an appeal to hoist a green flag (the flag of the Adivasis) in the premise, and also sought for a strict implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulation Act 1959, which prevents non-Adivasis from owning land in the Scheduled Area. The Adivasis allege that the action against Srinivasulu was taken at the behest of the ITDA PO Praveen Aditya.
Protesting the action against Srinivasulu, at least 300 people from several Adivasi organisations comprising employees’ and students’ unions had laid siege to the ITDA office.
As the protest had intensified, the PO invited the protesting leaders for a talk in his office. However, the leaders including legislator Vanthala Rajeswari were forced to sit on the floor as only two chairs were arranged for them.
“Following this humiliation, not many are keen to visit the ITDA office. If the leaders are not visiting the office, naturally even common people would hesitate to visit,” Ramarao Dora, district convenor of Andhra Pradesh Adivasi Joint Action Committee, alleges.
Recalling the incident, Ramarao says, “We were not at all keen on meeting the Project Officer, but the Additional Superintendent of Police insisted that we meet him. There were around 20 people. When we went to the office, there were only two chairs for us. We asked the former MLA to take the seat, but she refused and sat on the floor along with us. This was the humiliation meted out to us in the name of having a talk.”
“There was no question of COVID-19 protocol being followed. The ITDA chamber is huge and everyone could have been accommodated by following physical distance, but we were deliberately invited to a smaller space without adequate furniture to insult us,” he alleges.
Ramarao claims that even during the talk the officer Praveen Aditya allegedly behaved rudely with them. “When we asked what measures the officer took to preserve Scheduled Area land from being encroached by non-Adivasis, he asked us to find out about them through the Right to Information (RTI) pleas.”
Terming the incident as an attack on the self-respect of Adivasis, he said, “If the officer behaves in this manner towards educated people who are somewhat politically aware, I wonder how he would behave towards the underprivileged. This is the reason we want the Commission to initiate action against him.”
Meanwhile, seeking action against the PO, the Andhra Pradesh Adivasi Joint Action Committee on August 29, wrote a letter to the National Scheduled Tribes Commission. The JAC sought the Commission to initiate action against the officer under the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act and the Central Civil Services rules.