Rising social discord helps Maoists
Some villagers have become sympathisers of Maoists to take revenge against their rival group
Update: 2015-11-23 00:39 GMT
ADILABAD: History is repeating itself as far as the Maoist movement in north Telangana is concerned. Land related disputes, discrimination with villagers based on caste and class, villagers forming groups to take revenge against each other are leading to them siding with the police or the Maoists.
The same socio, economic and political situation prevailed in the villages when Naxals gained foothold in these areas 20 years ago. Maoists are taking advantage of the prevailing differences between the villagers, the gap between the rich and poor that has widened in the last 20 years, and the suppression of the downtrodden, especially Dalits, by the local landlords to get foothold in the villages in the north Telangana.
The unrest among adivasis caused by various government policies which alienating them from their “Jal, Jungle and Jameen” are apparently forcing some of them to tilt towards Maoists to protect their rights. The recent non-tribals’ agitation backed by businessmen and realtors, demanding the relaxation in AP Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulation 1 of 1970 (Prohibition of Tribal Land Transfer Act which was popularly known as 1/70Act) which was a safeguard for adivasis’ rights in Agency areas also created unrest among the adivasis in the Adilabad district.
Imposing restriction on adivasis’ movements and their natural habitats in the name of tiger zones, opencast mines in adivasi areas, displacing them on large scale from their gudems, growing dominance of the plain area Lambada tribals and cornering the benefits meant for tribals and planting trees under the “Haritha Haram” project in lands being cultivated for a long time by adivasis, without conducting joint survey by the revenue and forest departments are also causing unrest.
The unrest among the adivasis is quite clear and they have manifested it many times through their agitations, which are on the rise in Telangana.
Maoists are reentering villages by taking up the local social issues and settling the issues in praja courts (Kangaroo Courts) and threatening local landlords and suspected police informers.
The above issues had not surfaced during the Telangana agitation though they had been simmering. The issues had not been addressed by the intellectuals of Telangana who led the agitation to keep the people united to first achieve statehood. This situation is indirectly giving scope for Maoist to regain a foothold in the villages in the Adilabad district.
Some villagers have become sympathisers of Maoists to take revenge against their rival group.
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