Demands to delist Lambadis from Telangana’s Scheduled Tribe list ignore history, law, and ground realities

By Vijay Korra

From time to time, demands surface from Adivasi communities in Telangana to remove the Lambadis from the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list, arguing that they corner a disproportionate share of reservation benefits and deprive others of rightful opportunities. These claims often extend further, alleging that Lambadis are not genuine STs, are migrants from Rajasthan and Maharashtra, were accorded ST status without parliamentary sanction, and are now too advanced to require affirmative action.

Yet such assertions lack substantive evidence. In this contested context, it is essential to revisit the constitutional and historical foundations of Lambadi inclusion and to prioritise s

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