Union Minister Krishan Pal Gurjar on Saturday (February 13), introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to modify the list of Scheduled Castes in the State of Tamil Nadu.
The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021, seeks to regroup the seven Scheduled Caste sub-castes — Pallar, Kudumbar, Kadaiyar, Pannadi, Kaaladi, Vadhiriyar, and Devendrakulathar — as ‘Devendrakula Vellalar’ community.
‘The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021’ to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 to modify the list of SCs in the State of Tamil Nadu introduced in Lok Sabha today.
— LOK SABHA (@LokSabhaSectt) February 13, 2021
This comes weeks after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami who on December 4 had announced that the State Government would recommend to the Central Government to include the seven Scheduled Caste sub-sects under the ‘Devendrakula Vellar’ community. CM Palaniswami had said that the decision was taken based on the recommendations of the committee that was set up to look into the matter.
A committee headed by Dr. S. Sumathi, Professor and Head of Anthropology Department, Madras University was asked to look into the matter following a request made to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisami.
Even after the committee submitted its report to the Tamil Nadu government, there were complaints that the Tamil Nadu government was delaying sending it to the central government. Meanwhile, another one-man commission headed by IAS officer Hansraj Verma submitted a report to the Tamil Nadu government.
The Devendrakula Vellalars have been asking for regrouping of Pallar, Pannadi, Kudumbar, Kaaladi, Kadaiyar, Mooppar/Vadhiriyar and Devendrakulathar under one title – ‘Devendrakula Vellalar’. Puthiya Tamilagam party headed by Dr. Krishnasamy has been fighting for the last 30 years to unite the 7 sub-sects under one name and be called as Devendrakula Vellalars. Swimming against the tide, the community has been demanding for their removal from the list of Scheduled Castes.
However, Chief Minister Palaniswami said that the Devendrakula Vellalars would continue to stay in Scheduled Castes list considering their current socio-economic status and that they would continue to receive the benefits meant for the Scheduled Castes.
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