The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Gond elders’ diktat to tribesmen

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Friday, May 02, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Gond elders’ diktat to tribesmen

S. Harpal Singh

ADILABAD: The decision of Congress party to field Mesram Nago Rao, a Gond, against Lambada candidates Rathod Ramesh from Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Ajmera Govind Naik of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) for the Khanapur (ST) Assembly seems to be a electoral decision. At an informal though organised meeting of Gond elders on April 29 at Utnoor it was decided that Gond voters shall vote for a candidate from the same tribe irrespective of his party affiliation.

The occasion was the wedding ceremony of a grand daughter of the late Seetagondi Atram Dev Shah, the Gond king from Lakkaram in Utnoor. Gond elders owing allegiance to almost all political outfits and who attended the marriage met immediately after to discuss the strategy to be adopted in the coming by election.

Support assured

It may also be noted that some grassroots-level leaders from the SC community also attended the meeting and assured their support to Nago Rao. The SCs have growing differences with the Lambada tribals because of a recent dispute over installation of the statue of B.R. Ambedkar in Narnoor mandal.

A former Minister, TDP’s G. Rama Rao, a former Wankidi Panchayat Samiti president and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Madavi Raju, Sidam Arju, also from the TDP and some other Gond employees and opinion leaders attended the meeting.

Elders from different Rai Centres functioning in the area covered by the constituency were also present. The Rai Centres were authorised to chart out a plan of action towards achieving the declared objective of getting a Gond elected. Nago Rao, a son in law of Dev Shah could not make it to the ceremony because he was away at Hyderabad meeting party leaders.

In recent times, the divide between Gonds and Lambadas has kept on increasing. A national level meeting of Gonds and other hill tribe members at Ichoda on April 27 saw many leaders from the tribe openly demanding deletion of Lambadas from ST list. The population of Gonds corresponds to over 50 per cent of the five lakh tribal population in the district. The Lambadas constitute 20 per cent only.

Kerameri, Sirpur (U) and Jainoor mandals are predominantly populated by Gonds while Utnoor, Kadam and Khanapur and some parts of Jannaram have a mixture of all the sub tribes.

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