35 Hurt in Attack by tribals

The Indian Express, Tuesday August 6, 1996.

Express News Service

Jangareddigudem (W.Godavari), Aug 5: Tension prevailing at Budarajapalli village of Buttayigudem mandal over a land dispute deepened this evening with tribals attacking non-tribals in which 35 persons were injured, 15 of them seriously. Police opened fire in the air to quell the agitating tribals.

The tribals prevented the Dalits from taking up agricultural operations claiming that the 'D' forms given to them by the administration were not valid. In this connection, Karatam Rambabu, Karatam Krishnamurthy, Alapati Jaya and others went to Budarajupalli for negotiations. The tribals confined them in the village and later released them .... the police entered the scene.

While the news spread to the nearby villages a large number of tribals and non-tribals gathered at the village. A police force led by Jangareddigudem Circle Inspector P. Ramasatyanarayana tried to pacify both the groups and asked them to come to MRO office at Buttayigudem to settle their grievance and left the place.

The tribals whom the police earlier persuaded to leave the place returned immediately and attacked the non-tribals with lethal weapons.

35 Hurt in Tribal Attack on Dalits

Tuesday August 6, 1996.

Eluru, Aug 5: Tension prevailed in the Agency areas of West Godavari district today as the police opened fire in the air following an attack on farmers by tribals armed with arrows and other deadly weapons in the remote hamlet of Budarajapalli in Buttayigudem mandal. Thirty five persons were injured, 15 of them seriously in the attack.

Agitated over the attack, non-tribal farmers in nearby villages staged rasta rokos.

According to the police, the trouble started around 5 p.m. when the tribals prevented a group of Dalit farmers from taking up agricultural operations on some land in the village. The tribals said that the 'D' forms given to them by the district administration were not valid.

Local leaders went to Budarajupalli to hold discussions with tribals. It is learnt that the tribals confined them in the village and later released them after the police entered the scene.

While the news spread to the nearby villages a large number of tribals and non-tribals gathered at the village. Police tried to pacify both the groups and asked them to come to the MRO's office at Buttayigudem to settle their grievance.

As the officials concerned reportedly did not turn up at themeeting venue, the tribals became angry and attacked the non-tribal farmers.

Koyyalagudem observes bandh

The Indian Express

August 7, 1996.

Koyyalagudem, Aug 6: A bandh was observed here today to protest against the attack on non-tribals of Busarajupalli in Buttaigudem mandal of West Godavari district by tribals yesterday.

All the shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed in Koyyalagudem, Dippakayalapadu, Ankalagudem, Repellewada, Kannapuram and other villages of the mandal.

The demonstrators organized rasta roko condemning the attack on non-tribal farmers. The bandh went off peacefully.

SPECILAL COURT TO RESOLVE LAND DISPUTES

August 7, 1996

Express News Service.

Koyyalagudem Aug 6 : A special court will be set up in the Agency Area of West Godavari district to resolve land disputes between tribals and non-tribals.

Disclosing this to media persons at Kotha Ramachandrapuram ITDA project office on Monday, Kovvuru Revenue Divisional Officer K Sarada Devi said an RDO bank official would head the special court.

Giving a resume of the steps taken by the revenue authorities to avert clashes between the tribals and non-tribals over the cultivation of land on the scheduled areas, she said special teams were constituted to confiscate the land from the illegal occupation of non-tribal farmers. Ten such teams were functioning in Buttaigudem and Jillugumilli mandals.

About 325 acres of land had been confiscated from the illegal occupation of non-tribals and distributes the same to 133 tribal farmers during the past 17 months in the division . In addition to it, 411 acres of barren land had been assigned to 260 tribals for cultivation during the period, she said.

ITDA Project Officer A Raju Special Deputy Collector M Satyanarayana Murthy, MROs M Bharathudu and L Suryanarayana were present.