As many as two lakh Adivasis or Girijans in Andhra Pradesh do not come under the purview of the Constitutional protection, provided under its Fifth Schedule to tribals. This huge tribal population, spread over 805 villages in nine districts out of 23 in the state, has been denied the special treatment due to official apathy. 

Despite being tribal-majority villages, they have not been recognised as tribal areas for inclusion in the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. This historical lapse on the part of colonial and independent India has cost the tribals a great deal. Under the Fifth Schedule, tribal lands enjoy special protection.

Special funds from the Centre are spent exclusively for progress of tribals under this schedule, among other benefits. 

The special treatment of tribals dates  back to legislation during the  colonial administration.
But this injustice has been perpetuated even after independence.  Several commissions highlighted this problem, resulting in the Centre asking states in 1977 to send details of villages to be added to the list of scheduled areas.

Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra compiled the lists after surveys and forwarded them to the Centre. Rajasthan’s proposal was accepted in 1981 and Maharashtra’s was accepted in 1985. Till date, for 27 years, AP’s proposals are pending.

“It is a pure and simple case of administrative negligence,” says P S Ajay Kumar, state convenor of the Fifth Schedule Sadhana Committee. The committee has been waging a struggle since 2004, trying to move the administration, political and civil society organisations into action.

For example, Konam and Ainada villages are similar in every respect and share a boundary. 

The two villages have social relations, inter-marry and participate in each other’s sorrows and celebrations like any two villages of similar groups. But the Ainada tribal gets preference in government plans and programmes and is protected from exploitation .