CHENNAI: As many as 68 denotified tribes in Tamil Nadu under the aegis of the Tamil Nadu Denotified Tribes Welfare Association (DTWA) have threatened to launch a massive agitation on August 31 if the government fails to fulfil their long-pending demand. Members of the association have been running from pillar to post for decades to end the issue of dual certificates -- denotified communities and denotified tribes -- seeking a single certificate as denotified tribes to help them avail benefits of all government schemes. The association claims that the population of these 68 tribes spread across the state and in particular, southern districts, is around two crore.
“After 40 years of struggle, the state government, in March 2019, withdrew a G.O. issued in 1979 which changed the nomenclature of the 68 tribes as denotified communities. However, the government started issuing dual certificates to each member of our tribes -- denotified community certificate for availing of reservation and welfare schemes of the state government and denotified tribe certificate for availing of the central government schemes. These tribes are highly backward socially and economically,” said PK Duraimani, chief coordinator of DTWA.
Explaining the confusion caused by the dual certificate system, Duraimani said, “We have been bereft of concessions given by the state and central governments in educational aspects as well as benefits under Scheme for Economic Empowerment of Denotified Tribes (SEEDS) being implemented by the Centre.”
Reiterating that there is no legal bar for resuming the issuance of denotified tribe certificates to these 68 tribes, Duraimani said,
“After knocking at the doors of ministers and officials in the previous AIADMK regime and the present DMK government, we finally submitted a representation to RS Rajakannappan, minister for BCs welfare, on August 24. If our fair demand is not fulfilled, we will have no other option but to resort to agitation. During the campaign for the 2021 Assembly elections in Alangulam, MK Stalin, the then leader of the opposition, promised that the dual certificate system would be scrapped if DMK came to power. It is yet to be fulfilled.”
Duraimani said there are 191 denotified tribes across the country and most of them are living in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and a few other states. Besides, nowhere except in Tamil Nadu, there are no denotified communities. They are classified only as denotified tribes. From 1871, these tribes were called notified criminal tribes. In 1924, the nomenclature was changed to notified tribes. After Independence, these tribes were named denotified tribes.
In Tamil Nadu, Ambalakarar, Piramalai Kallars, Boyas, Valayars, Kaladis, Kepmaris, Oddars, Thottia Naickers, Uppukoravars, and Vettaikarars are among the 68 denotified tribes. Pointing out that among the state government officials, there is a notion that issuing the denotified tribe certificate would not augur well for the 69% reservation, Duraimani said this notion is baseless since the 69% reservation is placed in the Ninth Schedule and issuing the certificate as denotified tribes would not disturb this reservation.”