Thousands of Adivasis from across the Integrated Tribal Development Agency region converged on Paderu, the headquarters of Alluri Sitarama Raju district, on July 17 to demand the restoration of tribal reservations, protection of constitutional safeguards, and fulfillment of election promises made to tribal communities.

The massive protest, organised under the leadership of the Adivasi Girijana Sangham and several other tribal organisations, focused on the demand for a fresh Government Order to restore reservation benefits that were earlier provided under GO No. 3. Protesters also called for the strict implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulation, popularly known as the 1/70 Act, which is intended to protect tribal lands from alienation.

Adivasis from different parts of the Agency area assembled at the Government Junior College grounds in Paderu and marched to the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) office, where they staged a large demonstration. The protesters urged both the central and state governments to clarify their stand on the petition related to GO No. 3 that is pending before the Supreme Court. They also demanded that Alluri Sitarama Raju district be retained within Zone-I, arguing that retaining the district in Zone-I is essential to safeguard employment and recruitment opportunities for the tribal youth.

Addressing a public meeting, speakers stressed the need for the effective implementation of constitutional and statutory protections for Adivasi communities.

P Appalanarasa, National Executive Committee member of the Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM), warned that the agitation would be intensified if the government failed to respond to the demands. He called on Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to honour the assurance given during the 2024 election campaign in Araku to protect reservations that had been extended through GO No. 3.

Appalanarasa recalled that the Supreme Court struck down GO No. 3 on April 22, 2020. He alleged that neither the State nor the Union government subsequently took adequate steps to protect the reservation framework through legislation or an alternative Government Order, despite repeated assurances. Since then, tribal communities have continued their struggle through representations, appeals, demonstrations and sustained campaigns for the restoration of reservation benefits.

Criticising both the previous Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) government and the present Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led administration, he said successive governments had failed to resolve the issue of tribal reservations. He also reiterated the demand that Alluri Sitarama Raju district remain in Zone-I to ensure equitable opportunities in public employment, recruitment and employee transfers.

Araku Member of Parliament Tanuja Rani warned that if the chief minister, who is scheduled to visit Rampachodavaram on July 24, fails to make a clear announcement on the implementation of the 1/70 Act and address concerns regarding its neglect, Adivasis would organise a 'Manyam Bandh' across the tribal region on August 8 and 9. She further urged tribal communities to intensify their struggle and take their demands to New Delhi if the state government continued to ignore their concerns.

MLA M Visweswara Raju accused the state government of weakening tribal protections while facilitating the exploitation of natural resources in tribal areas. He questioned the government’s failure to implement the promises made to the Adivasi community during the election campaign.

Speaking at the meeting, CPI(M) leader and Ananthagiri ZPTC member Dhisari Gangaraju said that tribal regions were confronting a range of issues that threatened their livelihoods and future. He argued that elected representatives had a responsibility to raise these concerns forcefully in the legislature.

While Adivasis had elected their representatives with the expectation that they would defend tribal rights, he said many were placing party interests above the welfare of tribal communities. Referring to the failure to effectively raise tribal issues in the legislature, he said people across Alluri district were increasingly questioning the role of representatives who fail to raise their concerns.

Among those who participated in the protest were Andhra Pradesh Adivasi Girijana Sangham district secretary Poddu Baladev, tribal leaders Satyanarayana and Bhaira Suresh, along with representatives of Adivasi employees, teachers and civil society organisations and several other tribal groups. The demonstration concluded with a call for stronger legal safeguards, restoration of tribal reservation benefits, protection of tribal lands, and immediate action by the state and Union governments to address the long-pending demands of Adivasi communities in the Agency region. (END)

SIR: An attack on the right to vote

CPI(M) Polit Bureau member R Arun Kumar stated that any attempt to undermine the right to vote under the guise of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls would not be tolerated. He said the right to vote is a fundamental democratic right guaranteed to every citizen by the Constitution of India. However, he alleged that the ongoing SIR process undertaken by the Election Commission is being used to remove the names of eligible voters from the electoral rolls. He urged party cadres, democrats, and activists to remain vigilant and ensure that not a single eligible voter's name is deleted. He also called upon all political parties, people's organisations, and democratic forces to unite in defending democratic rights.

A seminar on the impact of the SIR process on democracy was held on July 15 at the Alluri Sitarama Raju Vignana Kendram in Visakhapatnam, under the auspices of the CPI(M) Visakhapatnam District Committee. CPI(M) State Committee member B Padma presided over the seminar, while R Arun Kumar delivered the keynote address.

Arun Kumar criticised the BJP-led Union government, alleging that it was using constitutional institutions to serve its political interests. Referring to Andhra Pradesh, he said the enumeration process had not been completed, prompting authorities to extend the deadline until the 24th of this month. Drawing on experiences from states where the SIR process had already been implemented, he alleged that the names of crores of eligible voters had been removed from the electoral rolls. He argued that the exercise was no longer a routine revision of the voter list but was gradually assuming the character of an indirect citizenship verification process. Citing Bihar, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu, he claimed that lakhs of voters had been deleted from the rolls and alleged that many of those excluded were supporters of opposition parties.

Arun Kumar further expressed concern that deletion of names from electoral rolls could affect beneficiaries’ access to government welfare schemes in some states. He warned that similar practices could eventually extend to other forms of identification. Allegations that large numbers of Muslim, Christian, Dalit, and tribal voters had been removed from the rolls, he said, were deeply disturbing. He also criticised the Union government, alleging that it was pursuing measures such as "One Nation, One Election," "One Nation, One Religion," and "One Nation, One Party." He called upon all democratic and secular forces to rise above political differences and launch a united movement to protect democracy, the Constitution, and the right to vote.

CPI(M) Visakhapatnam District Secretary M Jaggu Naidu, members of the district secretariat, and a large number of party leaders, activists, and citizens attended the seminar. (END)