The CPI (Maoist) Bhadradri Kothagudem-Alluri Sitaramaraju (BK-ASR) Division Committee has called for a joint struggle to espouse the cause of aggrieved “podu” farmers in tribal areas.
In a statement purportedly issued by the banned outfit’s official spokesperson Azad, the Maoists alleged that the podu farmers were being harassed and implicated in false cases for trying to till the forest lands being cultivated by them since generations, in the current agricultural season in the Agency areas.
The Maoist rebels accused the persons at the helm in the State of failing to fulfil their “pre-poll” promise to address all issues related to podu farmers.
The ultras slammed the BJP government at the Centre for allegedly trying to “dilute” the hard won rights of Adivasis and rolling out a red carpet to the big corporate entities to allow them to “plunder” the mineral wealth in the forest areas.
They further said the CPI (Maoist) will extend its support to the mass struggles by Adivasis for implementation of the Forest Rights Act, the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), and the Land Transfer Regulation (LTR) Act of 1 of 1970.
