VIRUDHUNAGAR
Issuing a warning to the State and Central governments to take Devendra Kula Vellalar (DKV) community out of Scheduled Caste list in six months, Puthiya Tamilagam founder and president K. Krishnasamy on Sunday said the governments would otherwise face unprecedented protests from the community.
Speaking at the party’s 10th State conference, he said the conference was the final warning to the governments after a series of protests.
“We are giving a deadline of October 6, by which the State government must pass a legislation to bring the six castes – Pallan, Kaaladi, Kadaiyan, Kudumban, Pannadi and Devendra Kulathan – under the common name of Devendra Kula Vellalars and remove them from SC list,” he said, adding the Centre must give its assent to the move.
Stating that being in the SC list had only brought stigma and oppression to the community, he said coming out of the list would provide ‘golden’ opportunities for the community. “Today, no one is willing to give us job, house or business opportunities, not because we are DKVs, but we are SCs,” he said.
He claimed that Nadars, who were treated as untouchables once, achieved growth only because they were not under the SC list. A general perception had been formed in society that people from SC communities were generally unclean, unethical and not talented, he said the DKVs did not need that identity.
He strongly criticised the Dravidian parties for using the DKVs as a ladder for their success, but failing to give them power. “We voted for DMK, but they gave internal reservation to Arunthathiyar community, which took all our opportunities. So, what is the use of being under SC list for reservation?” he asked.
He blamed both Dravidian and Tamil nationalist parties for perpetuating caste hierarchy through the ‘new varna system’ classification of SCs, STs, MBCs and OBCs. Condemning the Communist parties for not supporting the demand of the community, he said it was the community and not these parties that were in the forefront in fighting caste atrocities.
Refuting the criticism from certain sections that he could not claim to represent the entire DKV community, he said he had every right to do it because of the struggles he had been part of for the community.
He also administered a declaration to the participants of the conference, which said caste could be annihilated only after a stage where all the castes were treated on an equal footing. “To achieve this, we need to reclaim the caste identities. Lets us vow to identify only as Devendra Kula Vellalars henceforth,” he said.
The conference saw a huge turnout of party cadre and supporters from Virudhunagar and many other districts.
