Bodies protest clubbing of SC communities

Several caste associations representing the interest of various communities such as Pillais, Mudaliyars and Chettiars on Sunday held a hunger strike near Valluvar Kottam, Chennai, against the proposal by the Centre and the State government to categorise seven Scheduled Caste (SC) communities as Devendrakula Velalars. The Union Cabinet recently approved the categorisation of seven communities as Devendrakula Velalars and a Bill to give effect to the same was introduced in the Lok Sabha. The Centre also clarified that the seven communities would continue to remain in the SC List.