Cadre of Puthiya Tamizhagam staged a protest in front of the Old Collectorate campus here on Friday urging the State government to notify seven sects as ‘Devendra kula velalar’ so as to enhance the social status of people belonging to these communities.
Led by K. Krishnaswamy, president of the party, they raised slogans seeking immediate notification for the benefit of the people belonging to ‘Pallar’, ‘Kudumbar’, ‘kaalaadi’, ‘pannadi’, ‘moopan’ ‘vathiriyar’ and ‘Devendra kulathan’as ‘Devendra kula velalar’ . Later addressing the media, he said that the notification would not only benefit people of these sects but also guarantee communal harmony in rural areas.
The names of these sects by themselves resulted in caste-based divisions among the villagers. Their inclusion under ‘Devendra kula velalar’ would enhance their social status. This was the first phase of the agitation being launched by the party and further agitation would be launched in course of time.
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Dr. Krishnaswamy said that the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam should keep its promise made during the Assembly polls in 2011on issuing the notification.
“Our party projected only a single demand seeking notification even prior to the by-election to the Sankarankovil Assembly constituency,” he said. But the AIADMK failed to keep its promise.
Clubbing these sects would not be a difficulty for the government. The state government had included three sects into ‘Arunthathiar’ and another three sects under ‘Nadar’ in the past, he observed.
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