The Denotified Tribes Welfare Association has urged the government to complete the State-wide census for denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes (DNT, NT and SNT) before December 31, as the exercise would pave the way for the upliftment of these backward communities.
Its treasurer P. Thavamani Devi said the census was taken across the country based on a directive from the Union government. However, the State Backward Classes Commission was against this census, she charged. “The State government has not started the survey, despite the directive of the Central government. The delay will deeply affect the members of these communities,” she said.
This census was important as it would help identify the number of members of denotified communities present across the State. “It will help in ascertaining the educational, social and economical status of people belonging to the denotified communities. A clear picture will emerge on areas where the government needs to intervene for the upliftment of these people,” she said.
‘Boom boom maatukarargal,’ ‘Saattai Adippavar’ and Narikuravar were some of the nomadic tribes found in smaller numbers across the district. “They don’t have any certificate and don’t have a house to live in. There are very few graduates among them. The first generation graduates in these communities find it extremely difficult to get a job,” she said.
So it was all the more important to identify these communities and work towards their betterment, she said.
