Adivasis fear misuse of Sada Bainama

Adivasis are worried over free regularization of Sada Bainama (land deals on plain papers) were done before June2, 2014 for which state government has given permission.

The Adivasis feel that the permission went against the Adivasis of scheduled areas in Adilabad district in particular and the state in general.   

The Adivasis are of the opinion that the permission for registration of Sada Bainamas might be misused by the other groups among the Tribals and non- tribals.

However, they say that regularization of Sada Bainama land documents was against the 1/70 Act (Prevention of Land Transfer Act). The Adivasis suspected that revenue officials might have done regularization of Sada Bainama land records against the Adivasis keeping the innocent Adivasis in dark.

The Adidvais leaders say that there were many incidents where Tribal Lambadas and non- tribals encroached upon the lands of the Adivasis in the last 40 years and even made pattas to such land with the help of the revenue officials.

They give the recent example of getting patta to the nearly 2- acre land taken on the lease by one Jadhav Ramarao from Kolam Adivasis Sukmathrao in 2004 and got regularization of that land on his name without the knowledge of the actual land owner Sidam Sukmath Rao of Admiyan village in Narnoor mandal.

Ramarao of Khandorampur of Narnoor created fake documents for the lease and claimed that Sukmath Rao sold the land as he had taken a loan Rs 6,500 in 2004 from him long back. Sukmath Rao approached the revenue officials against issuing patta to the land in the name of the Jadhav Ramarao.

In this backdrop, Adivasis worried on regularization of Sada Bainama of land records and suspect incidents of misuse of the permission given by the state government.     

The Adivasi leader said there was every chance of Lambadas who migrated to Telangana from bordering Maharashtra and settled here in Adilabad may get rights on lands belonged to Adivasis taking the advantage of regularization of Sada Binama land documents. 

Already, the innocent primitive Kolam tribals had lost their land to others.The Adivasis say the regularization of Sada Bainama of land records goes in favor of Lambadas as revenue officials say that they were regularizing the Sada Bainama of land records only among the tribals.

Gaddar takes to FB on TRS

After TJAC chairman Prof. Kodandaram, it is now balladeer Gaddar who spoke out two- year rule of TRS government.

Posting a video on his Facebook page, Gaddar stressed on social justice and equal and democratic distribution of wealth among the people of the Telangana.

He shared his experience with dispensing natural when he was with the Adivasis in the forests long back. Gaddar said village elders gave two- shares of meat to a woman who participated in hunting an animal in the forest.

‘I was told by the Adivasi elders that woman was given two shares as she was pregnant : One share was for her and another was for the baby in  her womb’, he said in live chat.

Gaddar said that this was explained to him when he asked Adivasi elders why the said woman was given two shares, unlike all others who got one each.

Gaddar said in the video posted on his official FB page that the process should start to dispense this kind of natural justice to the people of Telangana as the TRS      government had completed two years in power.

State government should take steps to create a situation wherein people of Rayalaseema, Seemandhra and Coastal AP who have settled in Telangana feel happy and are at peace.

He said the land was the main problem in the Telangana.  “Today’s politics need  money, media, mafia , kafia and lofia. He said people of the Telangana have fought for a separate state to get their share of land, water, funds and jobs.

Gaddar has started his live chat on two –year rule of TRS with his famous song “Podusthunna Poddu Meeda... Nadusthunna Kalama Poru Telanganama..’ This song reverberated during the Telangana agitation and people regarded it their very own . 

Adivasis seeks nets to keep malaria off

A family of Pendore Jangurabi with a mosquito net 

Following the government’s failure to supply them with mosquito nets, some of the some of the Adivasis are buying it on their own to avoid their children being bitten by mosquitoes in the approaching rainy season.

ITDA, Utnoor Project officer RV Karnan appealed to the state government to supply 1.65 lakh bed nets to supply to tribal families in the Adilabad district identified as malaria prone area by the World Health Organization and also National Vector Borne Disease Control (NVBDCP) government of India.

Pendore Jangubai, Bheemjiguda in Jainoor mandal who purchased a mosquito net for her family members said they required it for the protection from mosquito bites during the rainy season.

She said bet nets were supplied long ago to the Adivasis following the more number of Adivaisi’s deaths due to malaria that took place in tribal agency mandals in the district.

The outbreak of epidemic has become common every rainy season in the Adilabad district. However, officials focus more on controlling measures instead preventive measures.

Different types of bed nets are available in markets ranging from Rs 100 –200 and Adivasi parents are purchasing an umbrella type bed nets more to their kids and children.

Bukka Venkateshwarlu, the incharge  Assistant Malaria Officer, said that unused open  wells have become the main source for larva breeding and they were  conducting anti- larva sprays in the unused wells which were located on the outskirts of the Adivasi gudems in Jainoor, Kerameri and  Sirpur (U) mandals which are most malaria-affected.

He informed that they have sent proposals to state and central government though ITDA, Utnoor requesting supply 1.65 lakh bed nets coated with Deltamethrin chemical, which repels mosquitoes. He said 28,000-bed nets were distributed to the Adivasis in 2007-08 to save them from mosquito bites.

It is found that malaria parasite is still active in body of the some of the Adivasis affected with the plasmodium falciparum malaria (PFM) and anopheles mosquitoes will fly and spread up to 4- 5 km distance and it is easy for them to reach villages and spread in the habitations from the unused wells located on the village outskirts.

Some of the illiterate and gullible Adivasis used the bed nets supplied for fishing after using them for just one season.

Adivasis in interior areas rely on streams for water

the Markaloddi gudem in deep forests in Sirpur ( U) mandal 

Streams, even if flowing at low intensity, are proving a died- hard source of water for Adivasis living deep in forests in interior areas in the district’s interior areas.

Ten Andh Adivasi families, with about 60 members in all , who have been living in the Markaloddi in Sirpur (U) mandal since a long time are quenching their thirst in this manner, said Tekam Dashwanth, a resident.

  

This community is somewhat more religious and they maintain isolation from other communities most of the time.   

“Water they fetch from the streams is tasteful as the water flows down from the hills , past may medicinal plants and their roots , thus becoming therapeutic,” he said.

There is no road connectivity, yet they don’t come out of that place as they are attached to it for peace and independence it offers them.

They go to Jainoor mandal headquarters for weekly shandy to buy their essential commodities, pointing out that they had never faced a threat from the forest animals though they move in this deep forest area even at night. 

Markaloddi remains unexplored territory ; going there gives the sense of entering a cave over a long distance and suddenly chancing upon a tiny village in the midst of the hills.

To reach the Markaloddi, one has to climb down hills, walk through hard terrain, take slippery twists and turns and cross rivulets. Visiting this place offers nature lovers, researchers, and journalists a refreshingly different experience.

Nagoba Jatara in natures' lap

Adivasis with sacred water proceeding to Nagoba temple 

Adivasis, who are the nature lovers, elated over their famous Nagoba Jatara being conducted as a plastic carrier bags- free jatara for the first time. It is scheduled for February 7 to 15 in Adilabad district.

A decision has been taken to this effect by R. V. Karnan, project officer of ITDA, Utnoor by imposing ban on using plastic in and around the temple premises during Jatara.

Adivasis of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh will attend Nagoba Jatara at Keslapur village in Indravelli  mandal in Adilabad district.

The non-tribal devotees visiting the Nagoba temple during Jatara has increased in the last 15 years due publicity in media.

Adivasis use big sized teak leaves for plates during their community feasts to avoid polluting the environment. This practice is an indication of their love and responsibility to protect nature and mother earth.

Plastic will take thousands of years to biodegrade and causes environment pollution and health problems.   

The decision was taken to control the environment pollution with using plastic bags, covers and other items extensively during the jatara. Adivasis are nature lovers and give much respect to the mother nature and will cause no damage to the nature  in their day to life and their life style was in tune with the nature.

Project officer R. V Karnan said they had taken a decision imposing ban on using any kind of plastic in and around the Nogoba temple during Jatara to avoid polluting the environment and also in view of the health of the people who visit the temple during Jatra.

Government teacher Kanaka Venkatesh of Marlavai village in Jainoor mandal welcomed the ITDA’s decision imposing ban on using plastic during Jatra and  observed that the decision was in tune with the Adivasis life style.    

Safe drinking water a luxury

Atram Pullabai of Chapral

Drinking safe water (borewell) is cause for celebration for the Adivasis of interior areas where there is a drastic fall in the ground water table due to successive droughts in the Adilabad district.

The ground water table has gone down 7.81 meters in November, 2015 when compared to 7.16 meters in the corresponding period of 2014. It means -0.65 meters water table was depleted in the Adilabad district.    

Adivasis are now fetching water from streams, rivulets and drinking wells by walking long distances and majority of these water sources are on the verge of drying up while majority of bore wells were already dry in the district.    

People in general and Adivasis in particular have already experiencing severe drinking water shortage due to prolonged drought conditions in the district and this situation may become worst as summer fast approach.

On the other hand, most of the drinking water schemes have become defunct in the villages and Adivasi gudems due to minor repairs and drinking polluted water causing health problems for the people.      

Adivasis of a few interior gudems like Chapral save water available in the lone borewell fixed with a tap which gives only three buckets of waters every and they extract water one in a while from that borewell to offer that water to relatives when they visit their village or during the festivals. 

The remaining days, Adivasis of village drink muddy water fetched from streams and rivulets. Chapral village is just 7 km from Utnoor headquarters and ITDA office. 

Atram Pullabai of Chapral in Utnoor mandal said ‘villagers are collecting water from deserted well and also local streams and rivulets and using the same water drinking and bathing purposes’.

‘Every day she could hardly fetch only three buckets of water from the local stream and there is huge demand for this water as most of the villagers depend on the same stream and have to put their buckets in a queue waiting for their turn for hours together’, she said.

Mesram Nagorao of the Chapral said ‘they hardly get two or three buckets of water every day from lone borewell tap as ground water table gone down deep due to prolonged drought conditions. They take water once in a week from borewell to give water to their relatives when visit their village or use the borewells water during the festivals and any other celebrations’.He said they used the water collected from the borewell tap during Gussadi festival recently. 

For the last few days the borewell motor is not operational as the electric wire got damaged and few villagers got low level electric shocks while collecting water from the tap and children are at great risk.

ITDA staff fixed the inadequate electric wire and connected to electric motor. Villagers removed the electric wire from the tap to avoid incidents of electric shocks as children were playing around the tap’, said Nagorao.   

Adivasis are still using indigenous methods

Adivasis use several indigenous methods to chase away birds and forest animals which eat and destroy pulses-redgram, greengram, ground nut and grains such as jowar and maize standing crops in the Adilabad district of Telangana.      

They devise instruments from scarp an material available at hand to create sounds  that scare the birds and forest animals instead killing them especially wild boar and deer.    

For example, they hang two steel plates side by side to tree on a tree branch in the fields, the contract creating an off- putting sound. They also create sound by hanging beer bottle and a small iron rod to a tree branch. Adivasis also beat small, empty iron drums and use slings to throw stones.

Some of these methods have been in use since time immemorial, like hanging damaged white plastic bags that of once held rice or urea to convey the impression of there being a human presence.

A scarecrow is a common enough ploy, but they also torch waste wood. They also keep the birds at bay, using a sling from the manche or shed placed in the middle of the  an agriculture field.  

These methods are being used to protect their standing crops from the birds and forest animals from time immemorial and this traditional knowledge passed on to the new generations from their ancestors.

Kursinge Nagorao of Chapral village in Utnoor mandal said even today they depended on traditional knowledge systems that had been transmitted down the generations and had successfully protected their pulses and grains from the depredation by animals and birds.

‘Saving the standing crops in this way is a must for the Adivasis as their fields  are located in or near the forests’, he  said. 

Adivasis don't waste food at functions

Adivasis do not waste food when they attend functions, celebrations or community feasts in their gudems. 

It is difficult to find an Adivasi leaving some of the food in  his or her plates and washing their hands and throwing the remaining food in the dustbin finishing their lunch or dinner at Adivasis’ community feasts or other celebrations.   

The Adivasis will take the leftover food to their homes for their family members or to eat it some other time.

This practice called ‘Ghato Thinji Ani Oival’ (means eating food and taking the leftover food to their homes) was popular among the Adivasi communities even today in Adilabad district.

Generally Adivasis carry their own plates, bowls when invited to community feasts or any function or celebration in their Gudems. Sometimes, the organizers provide teak or other leaves to be used as plates.       

It is said that the practice is nothing but Adivasis’ respect for food and they never waste food because they knew the risk and labour involved in food gathering, hunting to fill their bellies and also in cultivation of crops and protecting them from the forest animals.

Wastage of food has become major problem in urban and non- tribal communities especially in well to do families while lakhs of people suffering from hunger. 

Adivasis maintain discipline while participating in community fests and sit in line. Cooked Mutton or chicken pieces and soup will be served separately to the Adivasis at community feats.

Sidam Shambu, headman of the Mattadiguda village in Utnoor mandal, said the mutton or chicken pieces and soup will be served separately to the Adivasi people during community feasts to ensure that all will get equal number of pieces.

N. Madhusudhan of NGO Yakshi which works on Adivasis issues, said Adivasis in Srikakulam of Andhra Pradesh where he worked also take the leftover food with them to their homes after eating at functions or community feats as they do not want to waste the food and this was their way of respecting to the hard earned food unlike others.

An intermediate student Sidam Nandini of Mattadiguda of Utnoor mandal said she has been practicing the ‘Ghato Thinji Ani Oival’ since his child hood on seeing their family members and parents. She said the practice was nothing but Adivasis respect to food and food grains.

She said it was true that after many phases in Agriculture from sowing seeds or planting paddy to harvesting, rice or other food grains comes as a food into their plates and lot of labor goes into this process.

Adivasis upset over displacement

Adivasis of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh expressed their anguish over displacing Adivaisi from their traditional habitation in the name of development and protection of forest animals by the governments.

On November 4, Addressing at a meeting at Mathadiguda in Utnoor mandal, national convenor of Adivasi Ikya Vedika Kunjam Pandu Dora of Andhra Pradesh said Adivasis Savara, Bagathas, Kondu and Kondoras are being displaced in Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram, Visakapatnam, East and West Godavari districts due to mining and promotion of tourism, Polavaram project and elephant zones in Andhra Pradesh. 

'While Chenchus in Mahaboobnagar due to Amrabad Tiger Sanctuary and Gonds and Kolam due to Tiger Reserve and opencast mines in Telangana', he observed.

He said Adivasis were under impression that state government will take steps for the development of the Adivasis in both the states after bifurcation but now they are being displaced from the forests which are their natural habitat in the name of development.

Former MLA Atram Sakku stressed upon the unity among the Adivasis of both the states to protect their rights by mounting pressure on the state governments and observed that Adivasis marginalized further in the both the states with the bifurcation.

Adivasi  Ikya Vedika Andhra Pradesh convenor Krishna Rao , Telangana convenor  Sidam Shambu, Madavi Shiva Prasad, Advocate Prabhakar,  Adivasi Vidyarti Sangham Vedma Bojju,  leaders of primitive tribal groups from both the states  also spoke.

Dwindling forest cover : Adivasis purchase peacock feathers from other states

Instead of collecting them from jungles in the Adilabad district of Telangana, Adivasis these days are purchasing the peacock feathers from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajastan and Chattisgarh states thanks to the fast depleting forests.

Adivasis use peacock feathers to make hats that are worn by Gussadis( Adivasis)  to perform the Gussadi dance as part of Dandari, celebrated for 15 days coinciding with Diwali.

In the Adilabad district, forest cover has come down to 20 percent from the 44 percent in the last 50 years due to various reasons including indiscriminate felling of trees, wood smuggling and penetration of non- tribals into tribal areas and expansion of small towns in the agency areas in the district. 

In the process, peacocks’population has also come down due to deforestation. Adivasis who used to collect peacock feathers from jungles these days purchases them at high prices.           

A single peacock feather sell for Rs 5 while a bundle for 100 comes for Rs 300. During Diwali, thanks to the demand, each feather sometimes sells for Rs 20.  comprising 100 peacock feathers sell for Rs 300 and each Rs 5.

Peacock feathers are also being collected from Zoos and peacock farms in other states. There are 10 shops in Jainoor selling peacock feathers and each shop will sell hundreds of bundles during the Diwali festival season.

Adivasis use to collect peacock feathers in the forests along with minor forest produce and some of the cattle grazers would also collect the feathers when they went to forest daily.

Abdul Khadir of Jainoor, owner of kirana shop that also stocks peacock feathers, said Adivasis were purchasing peacock feathers from their shops these days as finding them in jungles has become difficult due to drastic fall in the forest cover.

He added that that they have been selling peacock feathers during Diwali for the last 20 years. While earlier only a few bundles would be sold, now he sells hundreds of bundles. Khadir said they purchase peacock feathers in bulk from Rajastan, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Gujarat.

Adivasi leader Kanaka Yadavrao appealed to the panchayat raj minister K. Taraka Ramarao at Jodeghat to ensure state funds to Gussadis to celebrate the event on the occasion of Diwali. 

I want to be Komaram Bheem in real life too, says Bhoopal

Komaram Bheem has once again revolted against the state and central government’s oppressive culture.

Popular writer and actor M. Bhoopal Reddy, popularly known as Bhoopal, who acted in the title role of Komaram Bheem film has announced that he is returning his Kendra Sahitya Akademi award in protest against the ‘communal politics’ of the government at Centre and sinking space for freedom of expression, humanity and democracy under this government. This was the first protest from the artist community in the state.

He also returned his Ugadi award given for his contribution in literature by the state government in protest against the killing of Shurti in an encounter in Warangal in which Shruti and another Naxalite Vidyasagar killed. 

Mr Bhoopal who lives in Hyderabad was recipient of Kendra Sahitya Akademy award-2011 for his children book ‘Uggupalu’, compilation of 90 children’s stories.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Bhoopal said ‘he wanted to be a Komuram Bheem in his real life not just in reel life and added that he was proved this with his gesture’.

He is upset with the killing of writer M. M Kalburgi of Karnataka who was also a Kendra Sahitya Akademy Award winner and nobody was arrested even after 46 days of his killing.

Bhoopal said Shruti who was killed in Warangal was his friend’s daughter. He was told that she was killed in fake encounter. He wondered what happened to the promise of an encounter- free Telangana by the rulers and observed that there was huge unrest among the students and youth who fought for the separate telangana state and hundreds of farmers committing suicide.

‘Much corruption is prevalent in all the government offices and works are kept pending if not paid bribes to the officials or employees which people of the telangana never expected in the separate Telangana state’, he observed.   

Bhoopal had played lead roles in other famous film ‘Mabhoomi’ directed by Goutam Ghosh and ‘Daasi’ by B. Narsing Rao. Both the films were made with the theme of fighting against then feudal land lords and depicting then feudal agrarian and social relations in the Telangana.

He had close association with the Adivasis of Adilabad district and influenced much with their culture and traditions which he studied and researched to live up to Komuram Bheem’s role in the film directed by Alllani Sridhar.

Komaram Bheem film bagged two Nandi awards and Sarojini Devi award for movie on National Integration before its official release. The film was produced with the financial assistance of ITDA, Utnoor in 1980’s   

Above 3,000 RMPs work in Adilabad

The Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Utnoor officials have identified more than 3,000 Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) working in 13 out of total 52 mandals and their number will be much more in the entire Adilabad district of Telangana.  

Officials are arresting RMPs on the charges of giving wrong diagnosis to the patients especially tribals and damaging their health and sometimes resulting in their death.

RMPs were asked to submit the samples of malaria tests and diagnosis reports to the medical department on regular basis so that medical experts assess the diagnosis given by the RMPs.

Agency medical officials say that untrained RMPs are creating panic among the people of the tribal areas especially Adivasis with wrong diagnosis of malaria falcifparum and dengu cases and referring them to the corporate hospitals in Karimnagar, Warangal and Hyderabad with whom they had connection and get  heavy commissions.       

It is found that 200 to 300 RMPs are rendering their services in the rural areas in district. ITDA officials recently seized RMP clinic in the Utnoor for wrong diagnosis and causing death of a tribal.The RMPs have been collecting huge fees from gullible tribal people for treating the patients.

However there were incidents where RMPs saved the lives of the people in interior areas in the absence of trained doctors. RMPs and also some fake doctors running clinics in the tribal areas.

Medical, revenue and police departments recently conducted a meeting with RMPs at Utnoor and warned them not o give faulty diagnosis like giving high dose medicines and antipyretics for immediate relief to the patients as it can cause health problems.

A tribal patient of Jendaguda in Jainoor died of faulty diagnosis by the local RMP.  Most local RMPs refer the patient to the government hospital when the latter’s condition become serious.

Another tribal patient of Pitlanaik Thanda of Sirpur (U) died while undergoing treatment at RIMS who was admitted there with serious health complications due to faulty diagnosis at a clinic run by a fake doctor in Utnoor mandal headquarters.

Collector M. Jagan Mohan wrote letters to 17 clusters of Compulsory Nutritional and Health (CPH) to keep a watch on local RMPs and their faulty diagnosis.

District Malaria officer Alham Ravi said they have identified more than 3,000 RMPs in eight high risk mandals in Utnoor division and in Kadam, Sirpur(T), Jannaram, Kasipet and Kagaznagar mandals in the district.

It is learnt that state government is planning to impart training to RMPs, PMPs (Private Medical Practitioners) with regard to primary medical treatment to improve their standards and can use their services in emergency.        

Studies discontinued due to fee delay

There are several sad incidents where college students especially Adivasis have discontinued their studies as state government failed to release the fee reimbursement to the respective colleges in time.

College managements did not issue their certificates even after completing the course citing the unpaid dues. Colleges ask the students to first pay the fees which they will return when their fee are reimbursed by the state government. But most of the poor students those were not in a position to pay the fee and forced to discontinue their studies due to pressure by the college managements.    

Palla Navya of Amangal in Nalgonda who completed computer science course at IIIT Basar did not get her original certificates till now due to fee reimbursement dues for the year 2013-14. She has been waiting to get her certificates once her fee  is reimbursed by the state government.  

Mesram Nagorao of Nipani village in Tamsi mandal of Adilabad district completed LLB from Andhra University but authorities have not issued certificates as the fee due was Rs 39,000 as he did not get the fee reimbursement.

Nagorao with his problem recently approached the project officer R.V Karnan, project officer of ITDA, Utnoor. Karnan took the personal interest and issued Demand draft for Rs 39,000 towards his dues to ensure that he would continue his studies. Later, Nagorao got admission in LLM in Osmania University only after producing his LLB certificates.

A grateful Nagorao said ‘he could not have continued his higher studies without the help extended by the project officer of ITDA’.

Durva Gouri of who discontinued her Intermediate second year studying at private college in Utnoor said she discontinued her studies due to management pressure to pay the fee last year. 

The incidents of Adivasi students discontinuing their studies are high after taking admissions in private colleges in Hyderabad and other places as they could pay the fee in lieu of fee reimbursement.

Soyam Drupadabai, Kohinoor village in Sirpur (U) mandal and Kursinga Yamuna, Lothorre of Jannaram mandal discontinued their Nursing course (GNM) while studying in Hyderabad as their annual fee did not reimburse by the state government in time.

The latter could not pay the fee on their own and were forced them to discontinue their studies. The story of the Atram Vinayak Rao of Gunjala village in Narnoor mandal was also same who discontinued B. Tech.

Kupti project may turn another mini- Polavaram

The proposed Kupti project site in  Neredigonda mandal. 

The proposed Kupti medium irrigation project in Adilabad by the state government may turn into mini- Polavaram project which submerged more than 2,000 acres fertile lands and majority of them belongs to Adivasis, Dalits and backward communities of four villages in the area.

People of the four villages will not get any benefit from the project and will lose their lands like Adivasis in Polavaram project.  

Kupti medium irrigation project, probably as balancing reservoir, was planned near Kupti ghat on the Kadam vagu. The same water will flow into the Kadam irrigation project and also Kuntala waterfall.

The Kupti project is to be constructed between two hills so that the rain water falls into the huge catchment area where nearly seven streams from bordering Maharashtra flow into Kadam and Boath streams which merge near Kupti and flows downwards.

Kumari is the grampanchayat comprising 480 families and 2,200 population. Gajili and Gandhari villages are tribal villages where nearly 200 Adivasis families living from time immemorial.

Preliminary survey for the Kupti project was conducted three years ago and now the state government has called for tender for survey. Mode village in Bajarhatnoor will also get affected with the backwaters if project is constructed.

Kumari MPTC Atram Laxman of Gandhari village said, ‘he came to know that his Gandhari village was not shown in the list of submerged villages but the fact remains different’.

Kumari grampanchayat has sufficient ground water which enables the farmers to cultivate commercial also traditional crops like cotton, soya, turmeric, maize and pulses and even vegetables.

Farmers of grampanchayat have been getting good yields for a few years. The area is close to NH-44 and land values were high in the open market compared to other lands in the area.

Kupti project will also affect the habitat of the many forest animals in the forests located in and around the Kupti ghats.

Adepu Hanumaiah of Kumari village worried over losing their fertile and much valuable land under the proposed project and said the proposed project will not benefit the farmers of the four villages except losing their lands.

There were strong allegations that some local top political leaders have started purchasing lands in the area in the benami names in view of the Kupti project for some time and lobbied for the project get clearance from the state government with the help of a top official of the Adilabad working in the irrigation department at Hyderabad.

Gaddam Bheemreddy of Kumari said it was very difficult for them to settle down after losing their valuable lands under project if they do not get right compensation to their lands and good rehabilitation package.

Minister tells Adivasis to shun superstitions

Health minister checking health of Adivasi child

Health Minister Dr C. Laxma Reddy said Adivasis still believe in superstitions which indirectly affecting their health and causing even causes death.

He appealed to the Adivasis to give up their belief in superstitions and take medical treatment for the good health and protect themselves from the diseases.

Minister asked the members of youth associations, community elders to educate the community people against the superstitions. He said a special ward in RIMS will be reserved for Tribal patients come across the district for treatment. 

Along with Ministers Jogu Ramanna and Allola Indrakran Reddy, health minister Laxma Reddy visited the Adivasi gudems where incidents of viral fevers, malaria positive cases and deaths were reported in Sirpur (U) and Jainoor mandals.

‘Some of the Adivasis not even going to hospital for treatment and instead taking traditional medicines made of herbs, he observed and said it was high time Adivasis change themselves and use modern medical treatment offered by the state government’.

The minister said efforts would be made to give nutritious food to Adivasis suffering from anemia to improve their immunity.  

During his visit, Mr Laxma Reddy admitted that there were cases of fevers but not in large numbers and directed the officials concerned to shift all the Adivasis including children suffering from malaria and viral fevers to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Adilabad.

Some of the Adivasis of  Pullara village in Sirpur (U) complained to the ministers that the doctors ad staff of the PHCs are not giving them treatments citing that they do not come under their jurisdiction and advising them to go another PHCs which were far away from their native villages.

The health minister expressed displeasure over not shifting the villagers suffering from fevers to Adilabad for better treatment and for not attending the patients seriously while stressing upon the sanitation, drinking potable water.       

Mr Laxma Reddy surprised when Asifabad MLA Kova Laxmi explained him some of the traditions practiced with regard to lactating women and just born babies by the Adivasis.

Health minister also inspected government hospitals at Jainoor and Utnoor and promised to upgrade the hospitals as community health center and 100 bedded hospital respectively.   

Adivasis observe Shivabodi to protect from diseases

Adivasis hang goat to a tree along with discarded baskets

The Adivasis observes the typical ‘Shivabodi’ event to ward off evil forces and for the protection of their villages and people from seasonal diseases which were prevalent in the rainy season.

The Adivasis even today appease evil forces with sacrificing goats and chicken to get rid off from their effects.  

To get rid off ill- effects of witchcraft, Adivasis offer goat, chicken to the evil forces on the outskirts of the village to feed the evil forces and prevent them from entering the village.           

Adivasi hang ‘killed’ goats and chicken along with the discarded basket and other damaged items to the trees on the outskirts of their villages. Adivasis perform Shivabodi event during the in all the gudems.

Adivasis will stuff the goat with the leaves and giving a shape like a goat after skinning and taking all the meat out of it and hang the ‘goat’ to the tree along with the discarded material.

“Adivasi leader Atram Bhujangarao said Adivasi perform Shivabodi in the beginning of the Akadi (Tholi Ekadashi) to ward off evil forces as it was the time  people and cattle get affected with diseases and died or fell sick.

‘The Adivasis believe that evil forces and witchcraft cause diseases but the  fact is poor sanitation, drinking contaminated water and lack of immunity power,said Bujangarao and added that government should create an awareness among the Adivasis against evil forces and witchcraft and about sanitation and eating traditional food grains they cultivate to improve their immunity power’.

On the Shivabodi, the Adivasis start walking on the walking stilts (made of Bamboo) during the rainy season to avoid getting affected with the diseases caused by slush and dirt in their villages. 

After one month, the Adivasis of the village will go to the same place where they hanged the goat and throw away walking stilts there on day of Polala Amavasya. 

Schoolkids perform to drumbeats

Adivasis students dancing to tunes of their traditional songs

Independence Day celebration was a riot of colour with the cultural performance of children and their participation in large numbers unlike Telangana Formation Day celebrations.

There were huge crowds in the police headquarters grounds to watch the celebrations.

Compared to the lesser participation of children in the Telangana Formation Day due to summer vacation, I-Day saw an active participation, the road leading to the police headquarters was jam packed with the school children and police head quarters ground where the main official function was organized was filled with the  hundreds of  students to watch the event.

Traditional drum beats of the Adivasis reverberated in the grounds while Adivasi girls danced to their traditional songs by the girl students of Tribal Ashram school of Umri in Talamadugu mandal.

Girl students of government schools and hostels and private schools of Adilabad town and surrounding mandals in large numbers performed cultural programmes on the occasion.

Private schools competed dancing to selected tunes. A dance troupe comprising 101 students performed a dance on Telangana culture. A teacher said any programme is incomplete without the participation of children who add colour and life.