WARANGAL: The state and Central governments have a difference of opinion over the issue of national festival status to ‘Sammakka Saralamma’ fair but they are not at all concerned about our opinion, said tribals at Medaram.
Adivasis said that if the tribal festival got national festival status, it would take away their rights over their festival. Already, the jatara is causing a lot of deforestation and pollution with the number of devotees increasing every year, the tribals claimed.
“State leaders like Kadiam Srihari and tribal minister Chandulal have said that the national festival status would benefit a lot. However, we have apprehensions. We will welcome the move provided our rights over the Jatara are not taken away from us,” said Kaaka Lingaiah, chairman of Medaram temple trust board. “Currently, 30 per cent of the hundi money is being allotted to the temple priests. Along with that, we want the state to spend the profits from conducting the Jatara on the welfare of the Adivasis,” he said.
However, some locals in Medaram are not happy with the state government constructing a tribal museum and a Haritha hotel in the area. They do not want the place of worship turn into a tourist spot where anyone can visit and damage the sanctity of the shrine.
A retired MRO, P. Laxmaiah of Tadvai said that Adivasis have always been exploited by other communities. He suggested that a meeting be held at Medaram with the Adivasis where they could be explained the guidelines relating to national festival status. “We will agree to the national festival status only if the guidelines are in favour of preserving the Adivasi culture and traditions at Medaram jatara,” he said.
BJP senior leader and a resident of Adavi Chelpur, N. Venugopal Reddy demanded that the state government must respect the sentiments of tribals and opposed the idea of converting ‘Sammakka Saralamma’ into an annual fair.
