Scrap Chellappa Commission, Demand Adivasi leaders

The article has been republished from The Hans India, March 7, 2017.

Image: Retired AP High Court Judge Chandrakumar addressing the tribals at Boath in Adilabad district on Sunday. (Courtesy: The Hans India)

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Boath: The Adivasi Porata Samiti organised a massive ‘Simha Garjana’ meet here on Sunday demanding scrapping of the Chellappa Commission, while holding out a threat to organise an Indervelli-like event which saw girijans sacrificing their lives. About 12,000 tribals from across the unified Adilabad district attended.

Representatives of the Adivasi Hakkula Porata Samiti, Adivasi Vidyarti Sangham, Adivasi Upadyaya Samakhya who addressed the meet said the commission had recommended inclusion of the Kaithi, Lambada and Valmiki Boyas in the ST list.

Leaders of the girijana sanghams which organised the meet alleged that only those ST communities included in the list have been enjoying the benefits of reservations, thus rendering injustice to others.

Retired AP High Court Judge Chandrakumar, who was the chief guest, accused the State government of including those tribals living in cities in the ST list, thus cheating the genuine persons of the benefits, while pleding support to the sanghams in their struggles for achieving the demand.

Former Boath MLA Soyam Bapu Rao, one of the chief organisers, alleged that girijans from other States excluded from the ST list had managed to get included in it by bribing officials.

He claimed that two legislators from the district were among these girijans. Rao said he had lodged a complaint regarding them to the Governor and the Lok Ayukta. He warned to take the issue to the Supreme Court for filing criminal cases against the MLAs.