Gotte Koya tribe: in search of their rights to survive
Published in The News Minute — https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/photo-essay-gotte-koya-tribe-s-search-settlement-survive-telangana-86043
There is no electricity in her village.
Rayanpeta, is a village settled by internally displaced persons (IDP) of sixteen household of Gotte Koya tribe. It is situated amidst the green forest reserve of Bhadradri Kothagudam district of Telangana state of India. At first sight, this village gives a sense of happiness and calmness. Though, gradually when one enter deep in the past and daily life of people here, one sense a perfect example of struggle and survival instinct of human beings.
Reserved forest areas are traditionally preferred places of settlement for tribals.
This group of Gotte Koya tribe was forced migrated around year 1998 from Pamed village of Bijapur district of Chhatisgarh state to borderland of Telangana (then Andhra Pradesh) state, when fight and killings between police and Naxalism were on high. State police used to charge these villagers as accomplice with Naxals.
They walked hundreds of kilo meter through the forest along with their children, families and personal belongings in search of new place. Finally, having noticed a small source of water they settled in Rayanpeta. Though, this water source is dried up now.
This is the only well for drinking water and cooking which is drying fast as summer approaches. Villagers have dug up another well themselves in outskirt of village which is used only for bathing and washing of clothes as the water of this well is not potable.
Usually village’s male take bath at railway line only while women take bath here when it is dark in evening.
Young and old, women and girls, everyone go for work as daily wage labour from the village.
“Villagers are living in darkness without electricity and with lack of water trying hard to cope well with their life. They work in nearby farms and at construction sites as daily wage labour. Given their struggle for good life, two of the boys are studying in Industrial Training Institute and one of the girls named Anitha got admission in University of Delhi, this year” said Shravanthi Shivram of Step Up organization, a not for profit organization which has made attempts to reach out to the communities to identify their key problems.
“Anitha is good in studies from childhood and performed well in intermediate. She has cleared entrance exam conducted by Tribal Welfare Society, based on this result she is going to pursue Bachelor of Science (BSc) from University of Delhi” Shivram further added.
“Government is not providing any resources like water and electricity because they are living in reserved forest. In fact it fears that if villagers get electricity and water, it will invite more of migrants in to reserved forest” said an official of Manuguru railway station anonymously. Manuguru is the nearest block level town from Rayanpeta.
Devi Gundi studies in class 6th in Telangana government’s Ashram school for girls of schedule tribe. She aspired to be a Telugu language teacher. Telugu is the primary language of state of Telengana.
Anushka studies in class 12th. She said “I want to do a regular job but I don’t know what subject to study or get training for a job?”. She works in Chilli farm along with her parents for which each member earns rs 150 ( $2.50) per day.
Shankar collects ‘taadi’ from three trees. Taadi from two of the trees he keeps and rests of the taadi he gives to owner of the trees who is a landlord. Shankar has fixed buyers of taadi from the towns around. He sells a litre of taadi for rs 100 ($1.50). He is the father of Anitha who got admission in Delhi University.
Anita studies in class 5th. She lives along with her two elder siblings as her parents passed away. She said “I won’t study much as I need to look after my home”.
Following their tradition and using their money thriftily, still people here made their haircut from each other. Though some elders avoid getting their haircut from youth as they don’t like the haircut style tribe’s youth do.
A trace of fear always hovers in mind of villagers that anytime forest officials can evict them from their reserved forest as it has happened with other Gotte Koya tribe who are settled in other areas of Telengana.
Preserved fish are mostly consumed during monsoon as it is difficult to find other options of food during this time of the year.
A retired forest official anonymously opined “Government is aware that there is migration happening and it is also known that these people possibly cannot live in reserved forest. Though internal migration is legal. A citizen can go anywhere in India and reside over there. Shouldn’t government take a step to provide them a piece of land which is a revenue land?”
He further added “Finding them a suitable place to live is a big challenge and as long as we don’t respect their cultural requirements, we are bound to fail and this is proven time and again. Also we must ensure that they are located close to their work places, so this would encourage them to continue ‘community living’ one of the core aspect of tribal way of life.”
“Poor rehabilitation and consequent impoverishment can be identified as the key problem of these communities. It is a very small population of tribe residing in Rayanpeta that’s why we might not be able to understand the severity of their problem but we need to think, once the water resources in their village become scarce or forest official object their stay in reserved forest where they will go?” said Shivram.
