Adilabad: Adivasis pay tributes to Indervelli martyrs

They presented Naivedyam and offered respects to the martyrs by performing certain unique rituals of the Adivasis.

Adilabad: About 50 tribals paid homage to martyrs of the Indervelli firing incident on the 40th anniversary of the tragic instance in a low key affair at the Martyrs’ Column on the outskirts of Indervelli mandal centre on Tuesday. MP Soyam Bapu Rao and local public representatives paid tributes to the martyrs.

The tribals belonging to various ethnic tribes and family members of martyrs flocked to the column. They presented Naivedyam and offered respects to the martyrs by performing certain unique rituals of the Adivasis. They maintained physical distance, wore face masks and sanitisers during the event. They belonged to several parts of erstwhile Adilabad district.

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Purka Bapu Rao, Indervelli Amaraveerula Ashayasadhana Samithi president, demanded the government to develop the place of memorial column as a memorial park, to extend compensation to family members of the martyrs, to organize the event as a state festival and to grant pattas to lands tilled by the tribals. He lamented that the kin of the martyrs and injured were leading a pathetic life.

Meanwhile, Bapu Rao also paid tributes at the martyrs’ column. He urged the government to grant pattas or ownership documents to tribals for tilling forest lands. He assured that developmental works would be taken up at the spot with the help of the Union government.

Led by Utnoor DSP Uday Kumar Reddy, around 250 policemen were deployed in Indervelli mandal centre and many other villages for preventing untoward incidents. Special armed forces were placed for patrolling at the martyrs column. Special Branch DSP Suresh Kumar, Utnoor Inspector Naresh Kumar, Indervelli Sub-Inspector Nagnath and his counterpart from Gudihathnoor, were present.