MADURAI: The United Nations has coined a new term, ‘democide’ as opposed to genocide. This term connotes annihilation of the origin and culture of a community to marginalise it from society. This is the most appropriate term to describe the plight of the Kuravar community in Tamil Nadu as well as in other States, Rev Fr Aloysius Irudayam said here on Saturday.
He was addressing an interaction session organised on ‘Kuravar community and social justice’ in which lawyers, social activists, human rights campaigners and others participated.
Fr Aloysius, chairman of the National Campaign for Dalit Rights, said the tribals were driven out of their forests by the British so that they could cut down trees for building ships and laying rail roads and for other purposes.
The tribals, who were ousted from their natural habitats, were forced to lead a nomadic life, being deprived of their livelihood and the British rulers stamped them as ‘Criminal Tribes’.
He said that the Google described them as a warrior community, but the rulers had reduced them to beggary.
What these tribals needed was an identity, restoration of their tribals lands and means of livelihood. Even the freebies of the government would not help them and would only make the people dependent. All oppressive legislations like the Habitual Offenders Act of 1952, which replaced the Criminal Tribes Act should be revoked and they should be able to lead a life of dignity, Fr Aloysius said.
A Kadir, director of Evidence, an NGO that organised the session, said the community had been divided into 27 sub groups, all of which suffered the same disabilities and oppression. Though panels had recommended that the Kuravar be considered as SCs, the government had failed to do it, forcing them to lead a nomadic life.