Maoists warn TRS govt against eviction of tribals

The CPI (Maoist) on Tuesday warned the State government to immediately put a stop to what it called forcible eviction of tribals from forest land. If their call was not heeded to and the government does not halt combing operations and searches by security forces, they would be forced to take action against TRS leaders, the Left wing extremist group said.

In an unsigned statement, purportedly issued by Jagan, representative of the Maoists in Telangana, the group said the recent incident in Sarsala villge in Asifabad district was one such example of forcible eviction of tribals from forest land by the Forest Department. Instead of evicting poor tribals from the land they were tilling, the government should take back large tracts of forest land occupied by political leaders over the years.

There would not



also be any need for Haritha Haaram programme, the five-page Maoist letter further said. All that needs to be done was allow the tribals to till the land they have been doing so and let the natural forest regenerate in the land taken back from illegal possession of politicians across the State, the letter said.

Even the Supreme Court had stayed its orders following widespread protests across the country by tribals who were being forcibly evicted from their land in the forests. Tribals were the ones who protect the forests because they understand the importance of its protection as they live in it. We appeal to everyone to support the tribals and urge the State government, which had been on an eviction spree since June to stop its activities immediately, the letter said.