HC asks Centre, TS on Gothikoyas status Seeks explanation for not treating the community as a tribal community in the state

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Responding to a news report carried by this newspaper about how the Gothikoya community is still deprived of its rights, the Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday directed the Centre and the Telangana government to explain the reasons for not treating the community as a tribal community in Telangana when they have been treated as tribals and extended reservation in Chhattisgarh.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice S.V. Bhatt was dealing with a suo moto PIL based on the Deccan Chronicle news report of October 3, which pointed out that the Gothikoyas, who migrated from Chhattisgarh and settled in various forest areas in Khammam and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts of Telangana, have been denied the rights due to them as a tribal community for the past 10 years.

Doubts and mistrust over their presence in Telangana among the police, revenue and forest officials is said to be the reason for denial of their rights.

The report said thousands of Gothikoyas came from Chhattisgarh due to the strife between Maoists and police in Dandakaranya and settled in various districts of Telangana state such as Bhupalapalli, Manchirial, Adilabad, Bhadradri, Mahbubabad and Khammam.

Once settled, they turned to podu cultivation in the forest areas, but forest officials seized the lands and raised plantations there as part of the Haritha Haram programme of the state government.

The bench asked the assistant solicitor-general K. Lakshman why the Gothikoyas are not treated as a Scheduled Tribe when they have that status in Chhattisgarh.

The Hyderabad High Court bench issued notices to the centre, chief secretary, principal secretaries of tribal welfare and forest departments of Telangana satte and collectors of concerned districts and directed them to file their counter affidavits.