https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Keeping Tribals Out of the Harm’s Way

After successfully beating the first wave of coronavirus pandemic, the Adivasi community of Utnoor in Adilabad district of Telangana is now dodging the more vicious attack of the second Covid wave, with unstinted support of a civil officer, N Uday Reddy.
Indian Masterminds Stories

The catastrophe caused by coronavirus is perhaps the most terrible thing that most of us have ever faced in our life. Death is looming around everywhere, people are gasping for oxygen. going berserk in search of hospital bed and medicines and the overall condition has gone from worse to worst.

Where even the mainstreamed and educated Indians from big states are not able to save them from this disaster, it is very necessary to keep a check and look after the tribals residing in villages and forests.

Telangana’s diligent and hardworking civil officer, Mr. N Uday Reddy has taken the responsibility to look after everyone he can and protect them from the Nobel coronavirus, as much as he can, about which he exclusively talked with Indian Masterminds.

Tribals crossing borders hiding in a truck to reach their place

RESOLUTIONS BY THE TRIBAL BODIES

Posted as the DSP of Utnoor in Adilabad district, Telangana, Mr. Reddy’s region mostly houses tribals. They have separate institutional mechanisms divided between various ‘Adivasi’ communities.

The tribals have a traditional system called ‘Sarmedi’, in which every hamlet has a ‘patel’. The person posted on the designation of the ‘patel’ has to take care of other people in the hamlet. Through this system, they exchange their culture, traditions, festivals, etc. They only transact through this system and sit down together to resolve any pending issue. It is like their own form of administration.

“During the first wave of Covid, I engaged directly with the `Sarmedi’ which typically have 30- 40 villagers under each of its branches. All the patels (heads) of the Sarmedi came together to pass a resolution stating that all the outsiders coming to the village from the city will be kept in isolation for a few days in a local school building converted into Covid care facility,” Mr. Reddy told Indian Masterminds.

The patels of each Sarmedi have resolved to fight Covid19 together

Secondly, they resolved that if anyone required basic necessities and items for daily consumption, they will allot a single person from each hamlet with the help of `sarpanch’ and only that particular person will acquire the groceries and necessities and distribute it among the rest of the people.

“Last year, I and my team were getting these 26 hamlets the required groceries and necessities but this year that hasn’t been possible as we are busy on field duty, most of the time, as the country isn’t under lockdown and everyone is moving from one place to another,” says the officer.

Only one person from the hamlet goes to buy groceries for all

WORSE CONDITION THAN PREVIOUS YEAR

Through the Sarmedi system, Mr. Reddy was successful in ensuring that there weren’t any positive cases in the Adivasi hamlets, during the first wave last year. However, contrary to that, during the second wave this year, even remote hamlets have succumbed to the pandemic and there has been a rise in the cases.

“On April 20 th 2021, the Sarmedi came together again and made a resolution saying that they will stick to the same rules as they did last year and assured us that they would minimize their movement outside and will take the help of patels and sarpanch for groceries and necessities,” Mr. Reddy told Indian Masterminds.

Movement is restricted in the region

SAFETY IN THEIR OWN HANDS

Being helped by these resolutions, the 2017-batch officer is trying to keep the tribal community away from the virus. According to him, “Enforcing masks, cutting challans and keeping a strict finger is one thing for us, but the remoteness of this place and their traditions such as the Sarmedi system is helping us in saving them from the harsh and cruel pandemic.”

Looking at the grim condition in the rest of India, this particular tribal region in Telangana is relatively successful in dealing with the pandemic, to an extent which is also quite necessary looking at the healthcare infrastructure in the district, which is almost negligible.

Tribals putting barricades to restrict movement

They don’t have a single proper Covid care facility or the means to set up one. The entire region has just one hospital which is the one and only Covid designated hospital of the district and is already running beyond its capacity.

“In case these Adivasis fall prey to the pandemic, it would be a helpless situation so we are trying to limit the spread as much as possible and to an extent, have been successful in doing so,” Mr. Reddy told Indian Masterminds.

VACCINATION DRIVES

Talking about the vaccination drive going on in the district and also for the tribals, Mr. Reddy stated that the drives are not very widespread, given the fact that people’s movement is restricted. As of now, about 80% of the frontline workers, including police personnel, have been vaccinated.

Due to the fact that Adivasi are superstitious people, vaccine penetration is not something they are keen to go for and their traditional beliefs often stop them from taking the vaccine.

They are doing everything to keep themselves safe from the second wave

“To deal with these superstitious beliefs and motivate them to take the vaccine for their good health, we are focusing on raising awareness campaigns to make them accept the vaccination medicines,” Mr. Reddy told Indian Masterminds.

So far these efforts by Mr. Reddy have borne results. And it’s hoped that unlike the rest of the country, the situation here will not spiral out of control, as is happening in the so-called “developed” metro cities like Delhi and Bengaluru.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
CM Mohan Yadav Indore Chhath Mahotsav
MP: CM Dr. Mohan Yadav Participates in Indore Chhath Mahotsav, Honors Devoted Mothers and Sisters
CM Mohan Yadav Indore sewerage project
MP: CM Mohan Yadav Lays Foundation for ₹30 Crore Sewerage Project in Indore, Boosts Inclusive Development
Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited AVNL 1
Leadership Updates: Salve Sandeep Recommended as Director (HR) of Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited by PESB
Reserve-Bank-of-India_RBI_resized
RBI Deputy Governor Highlights MSMEs as Key Drivers of India’s Economic Growth, Calls for Strengthened Credit Support
Crude oil
India Boosts US Crude Oil Imports to Highest Since 2022, Steering Energy Strategy Beyond Russia
Coal-Production-resized
Govt Releases Draft Guidelines for Underground Coal Gasification to Ensure Sustainable and Safe Energy Extraction
Indian Oil Chairman
US Sanctions on Rosneft, Lukoil Prompt Indian Refiners to Rethink Russian Oil Purchases, Indian Oil Pledges Full Compliance With Global Sanctions
lVigilance+Awareness+Week+2025
BPCL Inaugurates Vigilance Awareness Week 2025, Reinforces Commitment to Integrity and Ethical Governance
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Gokul S
Meet IAS Gokul S — The Officer Who Turned Disability into Determination | Video Interview 
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-23 at 10.40
Everybody Needs To Know What Is Transpiring Behind Closed Doors Of Courts
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
UPSC Journey Should Be Enjoyable, Not Cumbersome
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Gokul S
Meet IAS Gokul S — The Officer Who Turned Disability into Determination | Video Interview 
Visually impaired IAS officer Gokul S turned his challenges into change, empowering hundreds through...
Parmeshwar Chaudhary RAS
From Taunts to Triumph: How Farmer’s Son Parmeshwar Chaudhary Rose from Lab Assistant to SDM, Securing Rank 3 in RAS 2023
Parmeshwar, once taunted over his SI selection, has scripted a stunning success—securing Rank 3 in RAS...
IAS Rupal Rana UPSC
How Rupal Rana Cracked UPSC CSE 2023 with AIR 26 After Four Attempts
UPSC Topper Rupal Rana secured AIR 26 in 2023 after four attempts. Learn her preparation strategy, booklist,...
Social Media
Tenzin Yangki IPS Arunachal
Historic First: Who Is Tenzin Yangki, Arunachal Pradesh’s First Woman to Join IPS? Anand Mahindra Hails Her
She secured an impressive 545th rank in the prestigious UPSC Civil Services Examination - 2022.
IFS Parveen Kaswan
Heartbreak by the River: 15-Day-Old Elephant Calf Rejected by Mother, Rescued by IFS Parveen Kaswan and His Team
Jaldapra, West Bengal: In a moving incident that tugs at the heart, a 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued...
Ashwini Bhide IAS and Anand Mahindra
Who Is IAS Ashwini Bhide, Hailed as a Role Model for Mumbai Metro Transformation by Anand Mahindra?
From heritage to high-tech: Bhide’s leadership in Metro Line 3 earns public praise and admiration
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
CM Mohan Yadav Indore Chhath Mahotsav
MP: CM Dr. Mohan Yadav Participates in Indore Chhath Mahotsav, Honors Devoted Mothers and Sisters
CM Mohan Yadav Indore sewerage project
MP: CM Mohan Yadav Lays Foundation for ₹30 Crore Sewerage Project in Indore, Boosts Inclusive Development
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Gokul S
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-23 at 10.40
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT