CHENNAI: The State government on Friday issued the much-awaited order restoring the Denotified Tribes status to the 68 communities who have been called as Denotified Communities for the past 40 years. To enable change of nomenclature, the State government withdrew its GO issued on July 30, 1979 which changed the nomenclature of 68 Denotified Tribes (DNTs) as Denotified Communities (DNCs).
However, the order failed to bring cheer among those who fought for this name change for the past 40 years as the GO said these communities would be continued to be called as Denotified Communities in Tamil Nadu for the purpose of availing State Communal Reservation and benefits under State welfare schemes. However, these communities would be called as Denotified Tribes for the purpose of availing benefits of Government of India welfare schemes.
“We demand that a fresh GO should be issued correcting this anomaly. We, the 68 communities want to be called as Denotified Tribes and not as Denotified Communities,” said PK Duraimani, Denotified Tribes Welfare Association.
Expressing angst, he wondered why the State issued such a confusing GO even after the committee gave its recommendation to change the nomenclature. The GO issued on Friday quoted the report of the committee: “As the matter is relating only to the withdrawal of GO Ms.No.1310, Social Welfare Department dated July 30, 1979, without any change in the reservation percentage and roster system or any other principle of social inclusion, it may not jeopardise the Tamil Nadu Act 45 of 1994 (which ensured 69 per cent reservation).”
The committee went on to say: “The committee is of the conclusion that the term Denotified Communities used in Tamil Nadu identifies only the Denotified Tribes and none else. Both the terms Denotified Tribes and Denotified Communities are synonymous to indicate one and the same groups of communities affected by the erstwhile Criminal Tribes Act and the Committee recommends that the 1979 G.O be withdrawn.”