For members of Malayalee community living in hamlets dotting Kadambur and Bargur hills, a glimmer of hope has arisen for securing Scheduled Tribe status after decades of struggle. An anthropological research is currently in progress to justify their inclusion in the ST community list.
While their relatives living in other districts in Tamil Nadu are enjoying the ST status, in Erode district, their community is under ‘OC’ (Other Caste) classification. They have been suffering since Erode was not included in the list of State’s districts having presence of the community members at the time of recognition of the community as Scheduled Tribe by the Central Government.
The anthropological research that would determine and validate their kinship with their community members elsewhere in the State signifies the start of a drawn-out procedure for their inclusion as ST community in the Gazette.
Last week, a functionary of the Tribal Research Centre, The Nilgiris, also visited Kadambur to hear the grievances of the community members who are present in large numbers in the villages spread on the Eastern ghats across several districts of Tamil Nadu.
An earlier process for ST certification for the Malayalee community in the district had to be aborted mid-way since it was wrongly represented as Malayalee Gounder to the Central Government.
On a couple of occasions in the past years, the Tribal Research Centre had endorsed the community's demand for ST status.
Successive governments have been assuring to do the needful, but the struggle of the community keeps prolonging, V.P. Gunasekaran, State Executive Member, Tamil Nadu Pazhangudi Makkal Sangam, said.
The recent development for considering the community for ST status is stated to be an outcome of pursuance of their case by Bhavani Sagar MLA P.L. Sundaram of CPI with the State Government authorities. Compared to Oorali and Solagar tribes, the Malayalee community members who are predominantly farmers in Erode district are more in number in Bargur area of Anthiyur taluk and Kadambur area of Sathy taluk.
There must be at least 30,000 people belonging to the community in Erode district, according to functionaries of the Tamil Nadu Pazhangudi Makkal Sangam.
Due to the ‘OC’ classification, students belonging to Malayalee community are unable to pursue higher education.
They are not eligible for admission in the hostels run for BC community students and for other concessions of the State Government, S. Mohankumar, Sathy Taluk Convener, Tamil Nadu Pazhangudi Makkal Sangam, said.
The latest initiative for the community’s ST categorisation will take a minimum of three years for fructification.
The State Government has to recommend their case for approval by the Central Government.
The file has to go through various stages: Registrar General of India, Ministry of Social Empowerment, SC/ST Commission, and other offices before endorsement by the Parliament, and issuance of Gazette notification, he said.
Their relatives living in other districts in Tamil Nadu are enjoying the ST status
