Tribal rights activists, legal experts, tribal leaders, former officials and civil society representatives from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have called for urgent action on tribal land rights, employment and PESA safeguards. They were participating in roundtable on Constitutional Safeguards for Scheduled Tribes in the Telugu States at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad. Former Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao chaired the deliberations.
Welcoming the participants, Dr. E. Revathi, Director of CESS, highlighted tribal land alienation and livelihood insecurity in Telangana and called for concrete solutions. In his presidential address, Ch. Vidyasagar Rao stressed the urgency of resolving tribal land issues, drawing upon the findings of the Girglani Commission and the recommendations of the Koneru Ranga Rao Land Committee constituted in 2005. He expressed his willingness to support initiatives to strengthen tribal rights.
The roundtable focused on three critical issues.
Protection of Tribal Land Rights
Dr. Palla Trinadha Rao, advocate and tribal rights activist, explained the constitutional and historical significance of the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulation, 1959, as amended by Regulation 1 of 1970. With its validity under challenge before the Supreme Court, he warned that its dilution could accelerate tribal land alienation, encourage non-tribal migration into Scheduled Areas and undermine the protections envisaged under the Fifth Schedule. He called for a robust legal defence of the Regulation.
Restoration of Employment Safeguards
Dr. Palla Trinadha Rao the implications of the Supreme Court judgment striking down G.O. Ms. No. 3, which provided 100% reservation in specified teacher posts in Scheduled Areas for local Scheduled Tribe candidates. He outlined possible legal and constitutional measures, including exploring legislation under Paragraph 5(2) of the Fifth Schedule, appropriate amendments to Article 371D and relevant subordinate service rules, subject to constitutional scrutiny. He expressed concern over the absence of a comparable initiative in Telangana.
Defence of PESA Reservations
Dr. Shine Sasidhar, advocate practising before the Supreme Court, discussed pending litigation challenging the reservation of Sarpanch posts for Scheduled Tribes under the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA). He urged the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to adopt a strong, coordinated legal position to protect tribal representation and self-governance.
P. Venugopal Reddy of Ekalavya Foundation urged participants to convert the deliberations into actionable proposals and submit them to the appropriate State and Union Government authorities. M. Bharath Bhushan, consultant, Lakshman Rao of CESS, G. Venkata Ramana of Aadhaar Society and other participants contributed to the discussions, alongside tribal leaders and former officials.
Concluding the conference, Ch. Vidyasagar Rao requested CESS to prepare a comprehensive report of the deliberations covering principal concerns, legal arguments and recommendations for submission to the concerned authorities.
The conference emphasised coordinated action by governments, legal institutions, civil society and tribal leadership to protect tribal lands, secure employment opportunities and uphold constitutional safeguards, thereby preserving tribal identity, culture, livelihoods and rights.
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