BARIPADA: Members of Kudumi Sena on Tuesday observed six-hour hartal across the Mayurbhanj district to protest the delay in the inclusion of their community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list. After blocking NH-18 at Palaboni within Baripada police limits, the agitators staged a protest in front of the collector’s office demanding ST status for the Kudumi Mohanta community.
Founder of the outfit Jaymoni Mohanta said Kudumi Mohanta people have been deprived of welfare schemes and other benefits launched by the government for tribals ever since the community was dropped from the ST list.
“The Central government excluded our community from the ST list in September 1950 without any reason. Lakhs of people belonging to the Kudumi Mohanta community are living in Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam. Like other tribes, we follow the same tradition, culture and religion. However, the government is yet to re-include us in the ST list,” he said. The issue has been raised at different levels but neither the state government nor the Centre is taking any step to fulfil the demand, Jaymoni added.