A Congress MLA has moved the Supreme Court seeking the removal of Lambadas, Sugalis, and Banjaras from Telangana’s ST list. He claimed petitioners suffered grossly due to their meager share in availing reservation benefits.
Six individuals, including Telangana Congress MLA Dr. Tellam Venkata Rao and former Adilabad MP Soyam Bapu Rao, have approached the Supreme Court to challenge the inclusion of the Lambada, Sugali, and Banjara communities in the Scheduled Tribes list for Telangana.
The petition outlines the historical classification, noting that the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order of 1950, which applied to the former Hyderabad State, recognized only nine communities Andh, Bhil, Chenchu, Gond (including Naikpod and Raj Gond), Hill Reddis, Kolam, Koya, Pardhan, and Thoti as Scheduled Tribes.
Notably, Lambadas, Sugalis, and Banjaras were excluded. Instead, a Notification from May 30, 1954, issued by the Government of Hyderabad categorized Lambadas and Banjaras as Backward Classes.
The petition points out that this classification remained unchanged even after the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, which established Andhra Pradesh by merging the Andhra region with the Telugu-speaking districts of Hyderabad State.
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) (Amendment) Order of 1956, along with the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Lists (Modification) Order of the same year, continued to restrict ST recognition for Sugalis and Lambadis to the Andhra region only.
The 1956 Order explicitly stated,
“Throughout the State except Hyderabad, Mahboobnagar, Adilabad, Nizamabad, Medak, Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam and Nalgonda Districts: Sl. 19. Sugalis (Lambadis).”
The petition argues that this clear exclusion of Telangana districts persisted until 1976, when Parliament enacted the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act.
This amendment, made without any recommendation from the Governor or a socio-anthropological survey, lifted the area restrictions and extended ST status to Lambadas and Sugalis statewide.
It states,
“This time the area restriction as was appearing before was removed, thereby Sugalis, Lambadis (who were considered BCs in Hyderabad/Telangana Area) were now given the status of Scheduled Tribe in Hyderabad/Telangana area as well.”
The petition describes this change as “illegal and without any basis,” claiming it unjustly benefitted Sugalis and Lambadis at the expense of other Scheduled Tribes in the Telangana region who have held that status since 1950.
In 2002, another amendment added Banjaras to this classification.
The petition notes,
“This amendment had the effect of adding Banjaras as a Scheduled Tribe along with Sugalis and Lambadis… Entry 29 reads: ‘Sugalis, Lambadis, Banjaras.’”
The petition contends that these communities were never recognized as tribals and that their sudden inclusion lacks any anthropological or legal justification.
It states,
“The Lambadas, Sugalis and Banjaras are originally Kshatriyas and businessmen. However, without any enquiry and without any justification, they have been treated as Scheduled Tribes in the Telangana region of the then State of Andhra Pradesh.”
The petition also claims that this change has led to significant demographic shifts, stating,
“The recognition of Banjaras, Lambadas and Sugalis as Scheduled Tribes in the Telangana Districts… has resulted in an unprecedented exodus of the Banjaras, Lambadas and Sugalis from the neighbouring State of Maharashtra and Rajasthan and other northern States into the Telangana Districts obviously for reaping the benefits available to the Scheduled Tribes.”
It cites statistics indicating that the Sugali/Lambadi population grew from 132,464 in 1971 to 1,158,342 by 1981, an increase of 87.4%. The petition claims that nearly 70% of government jobs and educational admissions were secured by Lambadas and Sugalis, considering their relative advancement compared to other tribes.
The petition further argues that communities such as the Koyas, Gonds, Chenchus, Kolams, and Thotis, who have been constitutionally recognized since 1950, have been marginalized as a result.
It adds,
“The petitioners have had to suffer grossly on an educational, economic and social level due to their meager share in reaping the benefit of reservation… which has been utilized by the Lambadas and Sugalis, the communities who have been illegally come to become Scheduled Tribes,”
The petitioners are seeking a Supreme Court declaration that the inclusion of Sugalis, Lambadas, and Banjaras as Scheduled Tribes in Telangana is unconstitutional and violates Article 342, thereby harming the original and genuinely backward tribal communities of the region.
They have also urged the Court to invalidate the relevant provisions of the 1976 and 2002 amendments, which they allege were enacted without constitutional compliance or proper justification.