Govt neglecting plight of Girijans, says BD Sharma

Salur (Vizianagaram district): “The governments always has neglected the gullible Girijans, taking advantage of their innocence and ignorance of laws to exploit them,” noted rights activist and retired IAS officer BD Sharma has observed.

Inaugurating the Rythu Coolie Sangham (RCS) meeting on ‘Rights of Tribals’ here on Monday, he noted that failure to implement the laws for tribals, including the Forest Rights Act, resulted in the tribals getting distanced from their own forests and land.

He called for strict enforcement of tribal Acts for ensuring that the forests, lands and natural resources in the Agency region belonged only to the tribals.

Mr Sharma also demanded remunerative prices for forest produce and full-fledged education, health, drinking water and other facilities in Agency areas.

Rythu Coolie State leaders who spoke on the occasion alleged that the Central and the State governments were plotting to drive away Girijans from the forests and vowed to intensify the movement for protecting the rights of tribals on forest lands.

Later, a huge rally with about 4,000 tribals was taken out on the main road of the town. RCS State president S Jhansi, Vizianagaram district president Uyaka Muthyalu, secretary D Varma and others spoke.

With a large number of Rythu Coolie Sangham leaders descending on the town, a large posse of police personnel was deployed to keep a vigil on the activity.