HUNDREDS of CPI(M) leaders and activists led by Party Telangana state secretary Thammineni Veerabhadram took a pledge to protect the interests of Bhadrachalam tribals, their livelihood and culture in the face of Polavaram Bill passed by parliament. Assembled amidst the famous mountainous Papikondalu on the banks of Godavari river on 21st July, the CPI(M) protesters demanded a change in the design of Polvaram irrigation project to prevent submergence of villages in seven mandals of Khammam district. They also demanded that the transfer of these mandals to Andhra Pradesh state must be annulled. They requested the central government to have a rethink on the Polavaram Bill. CPI(M) leaders from the ten districts of Telangana state toured the villages in the seven mandals that would be submerged and interacted with the tribals before coming to the meeting. They assured the tribals, who are the predominant population in these villages, that the CPI(M) would intensify its struggle to safeguard their lands and livelihood. They slammed the ruling class parties for not taking the alternatives to prevent the submergence. Addressing the protesters, Thammineni charged the BJP-TDP governments at the centre and Andhra Pradesh of scuttling the lives of tribals in order to do favours to corporates who are set to benefit in the present design of the project. He condemned the coming together of Congress, BJP and TDP on Polavaram project and said it is illegal to ignore the PESA, 1/70 and other Acts that protect the tribal interests. He called on the tribals not to vacate the villages even after merger with AP. Lambasting other political parties that were adopting opportunistic stands based on region. CPI(M) Bhadrachalam MLA Sunnam Rajaiah, former MLA J Ranga Reddy, state leaders Nandyala Narsimha Reddy, D G Narasimha Rao, Mukund Reddy and others also spoke in the meeting. (INN)