Tribal women of Kothagudem district in Telangana allege being beaten up by forest officials

KHAMMAM: Nine tribal women, including four who are pregnant, of Maddukur and Bendalapadu villages in Chandrugonda mandal in Bhadradri Kothagudem district alleged that they were beaten up by forest officials with wooden sticks and belts.

The incidents took place on Friday and Saturday but came to light on Sunday when the victims lodged a complaint with the Chandrugonda police. According to sources, around 35 Gottikoya families who had migrated to Maddukur and Bendalapadu forest areas from Chhattisgarh have been doing podu cultivation on 39 hectares for the last 15-20 years. However, several instances of confrontation between tribals and forest officials have been reported in recent years over-cultivation of podu lands. Forest officials maintain that the tribals are cultivating in reserve forest areas.

In the first incident, the women alleged that they were on the field when the forest officials reached there and obstructed them from planting cotton. They tried to carry out trench works. When we tried to obstruct the officials from carrying out the works, they attacked us. They did not even spare pregnant women, the victims alleged.

In the second incident, the forest officials reportedly attacked five tribal women identified as Ravva Jogi, Ravva Vidi, Sode Shanthi, Sode Sukude and Ravva Bheme of Bendalapadu village. The tribal women alleged that the forest officials have been harassing them for the last few years.

They said they have already applied for the issuance of patta for the lands they have been cultivating for decades, but in the meantime, forest officials were obstructing them from carrying out farming activities.
When contacted, Chandrugonda Forest Range Officer Chalamala Srinivasa Rao denied they hit anyone. “We did not beat any tribal woman. We were only less than 10 members and they were more than 50,” the officer said.