Migrated Tribals In Deep Slumber, Face Eviction From Telangana & Andhra Pradesh After Decades

After migrating from Chhattisgarh into the border areas of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh years ago, hundreds of tribal community members are now facing eviction from the states. The tribals moved to the area more than 10-15 years ago and now suffer from habitation loss.

Forest Officials Clearing Out Habitants

This has happened due to the clearance drive carried out by the forest authorities for the habitations of tribals from Bhadradri Kothagudem district of Telangana and East and West Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh. The has pressurised them to go back to Chhattisgarh, Hindustan Times reported.

Migrants Cutting Trees For Cultivation

The forest authorities denied the allegations of displacing them, migrants. They said the cleaning drive was carried out to stop them tribals from cutting trees and clearing the areas for cultivation.

Individual Experiences

A tribal man, Sodi Sukaiya, narrated his ordeal to the media on how the authorities destroyed his farmland in Enguppanagar hamlet of Mukmamidi gram panchayat of Bhadradri Kothagudem district. The officials also prohibited him from entering his farms.

Sukaiya had migrated from the Korra hamlet of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh in 2002. He now owns no land in the region. "There is no livelihood for us for the last one week," HT quoted him as saying.

An East Godavari district resident, Sodi Iramaiah, says he has been put in a similar situation. He lamented that the forest department had destroyed some of the houses in his hamlet Kothuru.

Over 30,000 People Under Pressure

Tribal rights activist, Shubhranshu Choudhary, informed that the forest authorities in both states have raided around 70 villages so far. They are preventing the tribals from taking up cultivation inside forests and putting pressure on them to leave their hamlets and go back to their native places.

Moving back to Chhattisgarh is no less than a challenge, as these forests were almost home to these Adivasis. Reportedly, there are nearly 270 settlements of IDPs in both Telugu states, including 147 in Bhadradri Kothagudem district of Telangana, with a total population of not less than 30,000.

'Chhattisgarh Not Our Home'

A majority of the communities, including the Koyas, Gothi Koyas, Murias and Gondshave, refused to return, saying they are much safer in the current region and hold no attachment to Chhattisgarh.

They have seen it all, from being beaten up by the police over claims of supporting Maoists and sheltering them, assaults by Maoists over claims of providing information to the police, inter-state rifts to violence between security forces and Maoists.

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