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DISCUSSION

January 25, 2014 vol xlix no 4 EPW Economic & PoliticalWeekly76

The Future of Tribalsin Telangana State

T Prabhakara Reddy

This response to A Separate

Telangana: Promises and Prospects

for Tribal People by R Ramdas

(20 July 2013) looks at the Andhra

Pradesh governments initiatives

for tribals, as well as their future

in the new state to be, Telangana.

This is with reference to a note A

Separate Telangana: Promises and

Prospects for Tribal People by

R Ramdas (EPW, 20 July 2013). I would

like to spell out the following aspects.

While agreeing with Ramdas that the

tribals are experiencing land and social

alienation, it is worth mentioning the

governments initiatives like the promo-

tion of education and employment and

other benefits through the Integrated

Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) and

other programmes, which are exclusively

created for the welfare of the tribals.

Despite the achievements made so far,

constituting around 7% (as per Census

2011) of the total population of Andhra

Pradesh (AP), 35 communities officially

designated as scheduled tribes (STs) are

the most underprivileged sections of the

society when compared to other social

groups in the state (Satavahana Devel-

opment Society 2012).It was argued in a recent study that

the intensity of poverty is much more

serious among tribals than among the

scheduled castes (SCs), and they are

twice as much alienated. According to

the 66th round of the National Sample

Survey Office (NSSO2010), a majority of

STsreceived job cards and availed em-

ployment under the Mahatma Gandhi

National Rural Employment Guarantee

Scheme (MGNREGS) compared to all other

social groups. It was also reported that

the work participation rate, for males

and females, according to usual status by

STsis the highest compared to all other

social groups. As regards their educa-

tion, the percentage of STstudents who

completed 10th and 12th class is 27%

and 14%, respectively. It shows that they

are lagging behind educationally and

economically in society. About 40% of ST

households do not have any household

goods, while 55% do not have bankaccounts, although they are working

under the MGNREGS.

Therefore, it is important to mention

that the Smart Card Initiative of the

APgovernment on an experimental basis

is striving towards total financial inclu-

sion wherein the job card holders are

issued these cards. As a result, the margin-

alised sections, especially tribals, are

given smart cards, which are in turnused not only for banking transactions,

but they are receiving wage payments

under the MGNREGS, as well as pensions

and scholarships.

In fact, a majority of tribals lack basic

necessities and live in pitiable conditions,

with an exception of one or two tribal

communities that are relatively well off

and performing better. Although there

has been considerable increase in the

fund allocation for tribal areas, most of

the tribals were not able to draw the

benefits due to large-scale corruption

among officials and improper implement-

ation of tribal development schemes.

Besides, a majority of tribal areas lack

proper communication and infrastruc-

ture facilities.

Therefore, any attempt by the govern-

ment that tries to enhance their socio-

economic condition has to focus prima-

rily on primitive tribes and the poorest of

the poor among the STs, with awarenessgeneration and the peoples participation

approach, and take into account their

needs, feelings and aspirations while the

development process is taken up.

Land Alienation

It is a fact that land alienation continues

unabated in tribal areas in different

forms despite the fact that there is an

adequate number of Acts in existence

(Reddy 1989). The number of litigations

that are pending and the acres of land

involved in cases reveal that the incidence

of land alienation in AP is substantial.

The Ministry of Rural Development of

the Government of India in its 2007-08

Annual Report states

Reports received from various States, indicate

that 5.06 lakh cases of tribal land alienation

have been registered, covering 9.02 lakh acres

of land, of which 2.25 lakh cases have been

disposed off in favour of tribals covering a

total area of 5.00 lakh acres. 1.99 lakh cases

covering an area of 4.11 lakh acres have beenrejected by the Courts on various grounds

(MoRD2008).

T Prabhakara Reddy (tprabha9@gmail.com) is

an independent researcher at the Satavahana

Development Society, Hyderabad.

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DISCUSSION

Economic & PoliticalWeekly EPW January 25, 2014 vol xlix no 4 77

Despite stringent provisions under the

Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Areas Land

Transfer Regulation, 1959 (APSALTR) to

protect the lands of the tribals in the

Scheduled Areas, the tribals are facing

land alienation. In fact, the extent of

the problem is such that, at present, non-

tribals hold as much as 48% of the landin the Scheduled Areas of the state. Since

the APSALTR came into effect in 1959,

72,001 cases of land alienation have

been filed, involving 3,21,685 acres of

land in the state. Further, the tribals are

losing the legal battle to recover their

lands. Of the 72,001 cases registered un-

der theAPSALTR, 70,183 cases were dis-

posed off and 33,319 cases (47.5%) were

decided against the tribals, involving

1,62,989 acres of land. As of January

2007, about 300 cases were pending in

theAPHigh Court involving about 2,500

acres of land under theAPSALTR, 1959.

However, it appears from the above

data that the tribals are losing their land

in legal disputes, and, therefore, there is

a need to prevent the land transfers by

implementing the existing laws in letter

and spirit, and provide legal help to the

tribals to protect their interests in restor-

ing their land. Nevertheless, it has been

established that the sheer lack of educa-tion and awareness among tribals is the

root cause for the exploitation of tribals

by non-tribals and upper castes.

Status of Tribals

As regards their status, by and large, a

sizeable number of tribals (47%) are

groaning under poverty and their living

standard is minimal, except the Lam-

badas who relatively enjoyed the lions

share of benefits from state assistance.

Besides, the fact that a majority of primi-

tive tribes such as Bodo Gadaba, Gutob

Gadaba, Bondo Poraja, Khond Poroja,

Parangiperja, Chenchu, Dongaria Khond,

Kuttiya Khond, Kolam, Kondareddi, Konda

Savara, and Thoti did not get benefits

under united AP (Reddy and Kumar

2010) is a classic example to argue that the

new and smaller state is going to address

their issues in a focused manner as the

administration comes closer to them.

For instance, the tribals in Jharkhandstate are enjoying the benefits of develop-

ment in terms of government programmes

and schemes, a result of having a sepa-

rate state, which they never experienced

under united Bihar. Hence, there is an

argument that there is a growing need

felt among tribals for creation of a sep-

arate state, in which tribals would

benefit based on their population propor-

tion and socio-economic backwardness.Against this background, it is impor-

tant to mention that the initiative of the

APgovernment, i e, the SC, STSub-Plan

with an allocation of Rs 21,000 crore

(GoAP 2013) that has been introduced

recently, if implemented properly, would

benefit the tribals immensely.

The Future of Tribals

The lives of tribals in a new state would

definitely be better than what it is

today, as governance would improve in

any small state. There is a group of

people who are working on it, as to how

to mainstream the tribals in a new state

towards development, working towards

a blueprint that would emphasise social

inclusion and benefit the tribals ulti-

mately. Further, the people in the fore-

front of the movement for a separate

Telangana have agreed to continuing the

Sub-Plan approach and designing a new

policy of autonomous councils for thewelfare of STsin the new state.

In fact, the movement for a separate

Telangana has seen their active partici-

pation and one can easily make out their

presence. There are tribal leaders who

have been actively involved in the sepa-

rate Telangana movement, and are in the

forefront fighting for a cause. Hence, it is

unimportant to have doubts about their

development and welfare in a smaller

state, which, in fact, is going to be carved

out for ensuring their social inclusion.

The Road Map

At the outset, it would be a high priority

for the new state, i e, Telangana, to push

for the formation of autonomous councils

for tribals with a view to ensuring self-

rule and self-sufficiency in terms of their

livelihoods, and the provision of special

funds to these areas for development.

Further, the reconstruction of the vil-

lage economy will focus on natural re-source management, more importantly,

rejuvenating the tanks, water bodies,

water harvesting structures, encouraging

the practice of cultivating organic farm-

ing and growing different millets and

crops, promoting occupations of crafts-

men and opportunities for labourers in

the vicinity, protecting the forests, streams

and rivers, and, thus, finally building

livelihood blocks through indigenousmethods so that sustainable livelihood

development is achieved among the tribal

community in the new state.

Secondly, achieving inclusive growth

by ensuring social inclusion and provid-

ing better administration at their door-

step is quite possible in a smaller state as

there would be close interaction between

the tribals and the government. Finally,

mainstreaming of tribals in the develop-

ment process by earmarking some fund-

ing in all the line departments budgets,

implementation of different programmes

in a focused manner and ensuring their

participation in fullest form will be the

first priority in the new state of Telangana.

As a result, the tribals in the new state

will have better recognition and a better

place in the development trajectory, while

protecting their culture, customs and

promoting their socio-economic status

in a mission-mode approach.

References

GoAP (2013): SC, ST Sub Plan, 2013-14, Govern-ment of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad.

MoRD (2008): Annual Report, 2007-08, Ministryof Rural Development, Government of India,New Delhi.

NSSO (2010): Report of 66th Round, 2009-10,National Sample Survey Office, Government ofIndia, New Delhi.

Reddy, T Prabhakar (1989): Tribal Land Aliena-tion in Andhra Pradesh, Economic & Polit icalWeekly,24(28): 1571-73.

Reddy, M Gopinath and K Anil Kumar (2010):Political Economy of Tribal Development: ACase Study of Andhra Pradesh, February,

Working Paper No 85, Centre for Economic andSocial Studies, Hyderabad.

Satavahana Development Society (2012): Socio-Economic Status of STs and SCs in AndhraPradesh: A Policy Report, Satavahana Deve-lopment Society, Hyderabad.

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