Addressing a press conference in Vijayawada, the Adivasi Janarakshana leaders said there must be a special recruitment for unemployed tribal teachers, a comprehensive rehabilitation and resettlement package for Polavaram evacuees, withdrawal of amendments to the Forest Conservation Act, and provision of land titles for tribal people cultivating waste lands.
The leaders said the state government has failed to address these issues for a long time, causing immense suffering to the Adivasi community. They criticised the recent allocation of teacher posts, where only 38 out of 1,025 ST posts are reserved for tribes living in the scheduled area which, they claim, is unconstitutional.
Saturday’s strike will be preceded by a two-day Adivasi Janarakshana Diksha on Friday and Saturday, which will be led by the state secretary of the CPM.