10-08-2025
Indigenous peoples' lives remain in darkness, says tribal leader
Kakinada: Despite 78 years of India's independence, the lives of tribal communities in agency areas remain in darkness, said Vaditya Sankar Naik, founder and national president of the Tribal People's Federation and Students' Federation, and former member of the ST Commission.
The organisations marked World Indigenous Peoples' Day in Kakinada on Saturday with a grand cultural celebration chaired by Dr L Madhu Kumar, president of the North Andhra districts unit. Students performed traditional dances, highlighting the richness of indigenous heritage.
Inaugurating the event by lighting the ceremonial lamp, Naik criticised both Central and state governments for their failure to bring meaningful change to tribal life despite allocating thousands of crores annually for welfare.
He noted that many villages still lack basic roads, forcing pregnant women to be carried in makeshift stretchers during emergencies. Each monsoon, hundreds die from seasonal diseases due to lack of timely medical care, he said, lamenting that 'the lives of indigenous people seem to hold no value for the government.'
Naik further pointed out that in some areas, tribals still walk up to 15 km to collect ration rice. He condemned the ongoing neglect, stating that no matter which party comes to power, their lives remain unchanged. 'Government officials and rulers rarely visit these areas to assess the people's health, education, or living conditions,' he added.
He accused Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of breaking promises made during an election rally in Araku, where Naidu had pledged to restore GO No 3 and safeguard tribal rights if voted to power. Calling the unfulfilled promises a betrayal, Naik said constitutional safeguards exist but are poorly implemented.
Naik stressed that governments treat World Indigenous Peoples' Day merely as a symbolic occasion of cultural performances rather than an opportunity to address core issues like welfare, development, education, and employment. 'True celebration,' he said, 'would mean reviving and passing on disappearing indigenous cultures and traditions while ensuring progress that restores the self-respect of tribal communities.'
