It was a memorable New Year for the Gotti Koyas at Vankagudem in the district as they ushered in 2020 in the presence of top police officers on Wednesday.
The officers, who included Yetapaka OSD Amit Bardar, Chintur DSP Shaik Khadar Basha, and CI Yuva Kumar, celebrated the New Year with the members of the tribe in the hamlet, a Maoist hotbed located on the border of Sukuma district in Chhattisgarh.
The officers took along with them bananas, sweets, cakes, clothes and chocolates to the hamlet.
A tribal woman cut the cake and distributed it among those present.
“We usually see the police with weapons during patrolling. Today, we have seen the officers in all smiles. It is a festival for us. They have offered us new clothes,” said a tribal woman, Maremma.
Superintendent of Police Adnan Nayeem Asmi is all praise for the Chintur and Rampachodavaram police for frequently visiting the tribal hamlets, particularly the inaccessible and border areas, as part of Community Policing.
“The frequent visit of the officers to the tribal hamlets will pave the way for development. The officers should visit the houses of the tribal people, interact with them, make a note of their problems and try to solve them,” Mr. Asmi said.
Goodies for children
Mr. Bardar and Mr. Khadar Basha offered chocolates, sweets and cakes to the tribal children. They also gave medicines to the needy women.
“I thank Mr. Yuva Kumar, SI Suresh Babu and other personnel for spending the entire day with the tribal people. In all, 60 Gotti Koya families live in the hamlet. Tribal people of Prega and Lachhigudem hamlets too joined the celebrations,” Mr. Bardar said.
“In the evening, women, children and youth participated in various activities and games. The OSD gave away prizes to the winners. We had community lunch too,” Mr. Khadar Basha told The Hindu.
