To mount pressure on the Centre bring in an ordinance to ensure 100% reservation for ST candidates for teacher posts in scheduled areas, the Adivasi Organisations’ Joint Action Committee observed a bandh in Bhadrachalam Agency on Tuesday.
The bandh was observed by the JAC to muster support for its demand for enactment of an ordinance to provide ‘statutory status’ to GO No. 3, dated January 10, 2000, which was quashed by the apex court in April this year, sources said.
Rallies and demonstrations marked the bandh in Bhadrachalam Agency. Many shopkeepers downed shutters voluntarily in Bhadrachalam town.
Activists owing allegiance to various constituent organisations of the Adivasi JAC staged a road blockade in front of the bus station on Tuesday. The stir hit the operation of bus services for more than an hour, sources added.
Members of the Telangana Adivasi Girijana Sangham organised a demonstration in the tribal heartland of Bhadrachalam highlighting the JAC’s charter of demands, including promulgation of an ordinance by the Central government to ensure 100% quota for ST candidates in teacher jobs in scheduled areas as envisaged by the “scrapped GO No. 3”.
The demonstrators displayed banners bearing slogans such as “Make Telangana, Andhra Manyam Bandh” a success.
The other main demands of the JAC include release of Special DSC (teachers’ recruitment) notification for filling up all vacant teacher posts in Agency areas and grant of pattas for all ‘podu lands’ being tilled by Adivasis.
