CHENNAI: Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Wednesday constituted a committee, headed by Justice M S Janarthanam, to look into the demand of the Devendrakula Vellala community that the seven castes under it should be collectively addressed as Devendrakula Vellalas.
A requisition to this effect was made by Devendrakula Vellala (DV) Trust’s president M Thangaraj through state Assembly Congress whip, Peter Alphonse. Thangaraj asked that the castes - Kudumbar, Pannadi, Kaladi, Kadaiyar, Devendrakulathar, Pallar and Vathiriyar - be collectively called Devendrakula Vellalas.
The CM convened a meeting in this regard,where it was decided to constitute a one-man committee headed by Justice M S Janarthanam to look into the legal issues and recommend measures to the government.
During the Assembly session a couple of weeks ago, Peter Alphonse had said the Devendrakula Vellalas would like to be recognised as Pattial Ina Makkal (SCs) instead of being addressed as Adi Dravidas, which, the Congress whip said, was just one of the 76 communities under the SC umbrella. He had said the practice of calling the communities in the SC list as Adi Dravidas began in 1923.
The CM said the State government had already formed a committee for resolving this issue and he had conveyed his views to it. He expressed confidence that the committee would take a decision that would satisfy the people of these communities.