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Fleeing tribals from Chhattisgarh find no safe haven

Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao

Forest officials and the police are evicting them from the forest tracts they had chosen to settle down in fearing damage to wildlife and law and order problems

MANGAPET (WARANGAL DT): Tribals who thought they had fled to safety in Andhra Pradesh from their habitations in Chhattisgarh are not at peace here either.

Forest officials have evicted hundreds of them from the forest tracts and transported them to a place beyond Bhadrachalam of Khammam district.

"They have forcibly taken away our children to Charla thinking we elders will follow them. Even if they take us away, we will come back here. We have no place of our own there (Chhattisgarh)," said Kunjam Lakuma relating his plight.

He settled down at Eturunagaram mandal along with others recently.

Miserable future

These tribals who are on the run for life and livelihood foresee a miserable future.

While the forest personnel contend that there is a threat to the reserve forest with the mass migration of Chhattisgarh tribals, the police too apprehend that their settlements might become shelter zones for naxals.

Speaking to The Hindu , Divisional Forest Officer R.K. Suman said they evicted had tribals in two lorries two weeks ago and left them near Bhadrachalam.

"We came to know of their migration four to five months ago. They raised settlements in Roheer, felling trees in virgin forest. We also have information that they are hunting. We are supposed to protect and manage the forest and we will do it," he argued.

Though the tribals who have migrated had refused to be drawn into either Salwa Judum movement or naxalism in Chhattisgarh, the police suspect that they are sympathising with Maoists and fear that their settlements will attract naxals.

Eturunagaram Circle Inspector M. Dayanand Reddy said, "These tribals are innocent and less civilized than local tribals. There are chances of conflict between local and non-local tribals over land, which might lead to a law and order problem. These tribals are vulnerable to exploitation here,," he pointed out.

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