Lawlessness in Telangana as tribals clash over reservation
Clashes between local adivasis and migrant Banjaras, also called Lambadas, have escalated into sporadic violence in dozens of villages on Telangana’s borders.
adivasis and migrant Banjaras, also called Lambadas, have escalated into sporadic violence in dozens of villages on Telangana’s borders. The police are alarmed over the possible intervention by Maoists who are now dormant in these areas.
Currently, there is 6% reservation for STs in educational institutions and public employment i n Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. But, the benefits of reservations are grabbed by the dominant migrant tribe, Lambadas (they are Banjaras in Maharashtra, along with a 12% quota to Muslims in the Assembly and sent it for the clearance of the Centre three months ago.
In the first week of November, non-Lambada tribes, including Gonds, Koyas and Chenchus (who are dominant in southern Telangana) held a rally in Hyderabad seeking exclusion of Lambadas from the list of STs. Then a fortnight later, All India Banjara Sangh led another massive rally in the city warning against any attempts to delete them from the ST list.
Numerically, Lambadas constitute 60% of the total STs in Telangana, around 44 lakh, while all other remaining native tribals account for the rest.
“We don’t want Lambadas in the ST list as they are dominant and powerful compared to most of nonLambadas. Unless they are removed from the list, we cannot get justice in reservations. If removing is not possible immediately, please divide STs into four categories to protect us,” G. Nagesh, a Gond leader from Indravelli, told this newspaper over phone.
However, former Union minister Balram Naik, who organised the recent Lambada rally in Hyderabad, rejected the demand and said that any move to exclude Lambadas from ST list would be resisted. “We are not robbing any other tribes of their jobs or educational seats. Lambadas are STs in 12 states in India and we are the real STs,” he told this newspaper.
The state government is in a fix on the issue as any move on the categorisation of SCs and STs will require Constitutional sanction from Parliament.
Currently, there is 6% reservation for STs in educational institutions and public employment in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.