PUDUCHERRY: Federation for People’s Rights (FPR), Puducherry, submitted a memorandum to the chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) Dr Rameshwar Oraon to include Irulars (including sub-castes Vettaikaran and Villi), Kattu Nayakar, Malakuravar, Yerukula and Kurumans in the Scheduled Tribes list.
FPR secretary, K Sugumaran, in his memorandum, said the proposal submitted by the UT government for the inclusion of five backward tribes in the Scheduled Tribes list may be recommended by the commission and steps could be taken for the issuance of the Presidential Notification under Article 342 of Indian Constitution for declaring ST status by the Government of India.
Sugumaran said Dr T Subramanyam Naidu, former HOD of anthropology, Pondicherry University, was assigned by the Puducherry Government to conduct an extensive study on ST Communities in Puducherry. “He submitted a report mentioning that these ST communities, which originated and lived in Puducherry, were eligible to given ST status. The report was accepted by the Puducherry Cabinet in 2002. Subsequently, the Legislative Assembly and the L-G gave their approval and it was sent to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs on October 7, 2002, for Presidential Notification. The UT Government has been persisting the Centre for the same.”
Meanwhile, NCST chairperson Dr Rameshwar Oraon held a final consultation meetings with Welfare Minister P Rajavelu and chief secretary Chetan B Sanghi here on Wednesday. Chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes Dr Rameshwar Oraon made inquiries with the minister about the various welfare schemes for the tribals. The chief secretary explained about the schemes for the tribals.