CHENNAI: A representative body of the Vannar community in Tamil Nadu has urged the union government to include the caste in the Scheduled Castes list under Article 341 of the Constitution, citing entrenched discrimination and practices amounting to untouchability.
In a formal submission, the Tamil Nadu Vannar Co-ordination Committee said the community continues to occupy the lowest rung of the caste hierarchy across many parts of the state, facing social exclusion.
The community is classified as SC in a few districts of Tamil Nadu while in majority of the districts they are classified under the Most Backward Communities category.
The petition documents restrictions on temple entry, denial of access to common water sources, segregated housing and social distancing practices that bar caste Hindus from entering Vannar homes or sharing food. Burial rights are frequently contested, forcing families to use riverbeds instead of common cremation grounds.
Vannar women, the submission notes, are compelled to perform unpaid or poorly-paid labour during festivals, funerals and domestic rituals. Discrimination extends to schools, contributing to high dropout rates.
“These conditions mirror the historical oppression faced by recognised Scheduled Castes,” said T M Prakash, organiser of the committee, urging constitutional recognition to secure dignity and equal rights.