Reparation sought from UK over caste tag

Many speakers at the conference said they had not benefited from the Scheduled Caste status but had, rather, faced discrimination in educational institutions and workplaces because of it.
A file image of MDMK chief Vaiko with Puthiya Tamizhagam leader Krishnaswamy at the Chennai airport.
A file image of MDMK chief Vaiko with Puthiya Tamizhagam leader Krishnaswamy at the Chennai airport.

TIRUCHY: Puthiya Tamizhagam chief K Krishnasamy on Saturday announced that his party would protest in front of the British Deputy High Commission in Chennai on November 15, demanding reparation from the UK government for including the Devendrakula Velalar community in the scheduled castes list.

“National parties see us as Harijans, Dravidian parties see us as Adi Dravidars, Communists see us as coolies and it is only the Puthiya Tamizhagam that calls us Devendrakula Velalars. We need no identity other than this,” Krishnasamy said addressing the State conference of his party’s youth wing.  

Announcing that the party would block roads across the State on January 6 next year to press for the demand to drop the caste from the scheduled castes list, he said, “Hereafter, our people will vote for those political parties that promise to remove our community from the SC list.”

The chief of the party, which wants the Devendrakula Velalar community categorised among the most backward classes (MBC), expressed angst over the delay on the part of the Centre and the State government in granting the community MBC status.

Many speakers at the conference said they had not benefited from the Scheduled Caste status but had, rather, faced discrimination in educational institutions and workplaces because of it.

And Krishnasamy’s son Shyam, who is the youth wing’s president, read out a resolution to end dynastic politics in the State and restore Devendrakula Velalars as a political force.

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