ST certificate for Malayali tribal community a long-pending demand
The Hindu
‘We are fighting for three generations to get the certificate’
For 24-year-old S. Suresh of Kadambur, who works in a tea shop, his dream of pursuing his education after Plus-Two did not materialise as he was denied a ST community certificate for a mistake that he did not commit. About 32,500 Malayali tribal community people living in Kadambur Hills in Sathyamangalam Taluk and Bargur Hills in Anthiyur Taluk were categorised under Other Caste list, while their counterparts in Dharmapuri, Pudukottai, Tiruchi, Shevaroyan Hills in Salem and Kolli Hills in Namakkal were categorised under Scheduled Tribe. Hence, they are denied reservation in educational institutions, government jobs and also welfare measures provided by the government. When Coimbatore was bifurcated in 1979, Sathyamangalam was demarcated under Erode district. Anthiyur Taluk was formed in 2012 under Erode district. “But tribal people in the two hills were not notified, while tribes in other districts were notified as ST by the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Order, 1956,” said S. Mohan Kumar, District Coordinator, Tamil Nadu Tribal People Association.More Related News