Body moves SC to strike Lambadas off list of STS

THEY MIGRATED FROM OTHER STATES, SAYS PETITION, FILED BY ADIVASI (GIRIJANA) EMPLOYEES WELFARE AND CULTURAL ASSOCIATION SECRETARY

HYDERABAD: An Adivasi association in Telangana has moved the Supreme Court seeking removal of Banjaras (Lambadas) and Sugalis from the list of Scheduled Tribes (STS) and prevent them from enjoying reservations in educational and employment opportunities, besides elected bodies like the Parliament and state assemblies.

In his petition filed before the apex court on Tuesday, Adivasi (Girijana) Employees Welfare and Cultural Association secretary Tellam Venkateshwara Rao argued that Banjaras (Lambadas) and Sugalis were not originally STS, but had migrated to Telangana from the other states.

“They had not been treated as Scheduled Tribes in the Telangana region of the erstwhile State of Andhra Pradesh. Only nine tribes – Andh, Bhil, Chenchu (Chenchwar), Gond (including Naikpod and Raj Gond), Hill Reddis or Konda Reddis, Kolam (including Mannarvarlu), Koya (including Bhine Koya and Rai Koya), Pardhan and Thoti – were declared as STS in the erstwhile Hyderabad State under the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950. Lambadas or Sugalis were not covered by the order,” Rao pointed out.

There were attempts to include Sugalis and Lambadas into the ST list in Andhra Pradesh in 1956 by amending the Constitution of India, but the then Central government quickly acted to prevent their inclusion in the ST list.

“In 1976, however, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act was passed in Parliament recognising the Banjaras (Lambadas and Sugalis) as Scheduled Tribes in Telangana areas,” the petition said.

Stating that the 1976 Act was unconstitutional and illegal, the Adivasi leader said it had resulted in large scale migration of Lambadas from other states to Telangana.

“The Lambadas have been cornering most of the benefits of reservations in admission to educational institutions, appointments and promotion in government services and the elective offices of the state legislature and parliament...” Rao said.

Lambadas argue that they have a legitimate right to be in the ST list. “We constitute more than 70% of the STS in Telangana. It is only in the recent past that we were able to get our legitimate share in education and jobs,” Bhukya Sanjeeva Naik, a Lambada leader, said.