Devendra Kula Vellalars, the only community in the entire country that is swimming against the tide to get delisted from the Scheduled Caste list is set to hold a massive public rally on January 6 at Madurai under the leadership of Puthiya Tamilagam founder leader Dr. K. Krishnasamy.
In a statement, Dr. Krishnasamy issued a clarion call to the State and Central governments to consider the Devendra Kula Vellalar’s demand of removing them from the Scheduled Caste list and not just stop with the renaming of the seven communities.
“This January 6 will be remembered as a historic day for not just Tamil Nadu but for the entire country”, Dr. Krishnasamy said in his statement.
He said that the Devendra Kula Vellalars were an agricultural community who were hailed in the Tamil Sangam literature and added that they were mistakenly included as ‘Depressed Class’ during the British rule.
“A society that lived in a state of nobility was pushed into abyss by listing under the Scheduled Caste.”, he said.
“The taboo associated with the term ‘depressed class’ has prevented our socio-economic mobility. We are fighting to get rid of the this and regain our identity. We are ready for any kind of sacrifice and forsake any kind of privileges to remove the stigma that has been imposed on us.”, Dr. Krishnasamy said.
Tamil Nadu government on December 4 announced that the State Government would be recommending to the Central Government to include the seven Scheduled Caste sub-sects — Pallar, Kudumbar, Kadaiyar, Pannadi, Kaaladi, Vadhiriyar, and Devendrakulathar — in the Devendrakula Vellalar community. However, Chief Minister Palaniswami said that the Devendra Kula Vellalars would continue to stay in Scheduled Caste list considering their current socio-economic status and that they would continue to receive the benefits meant for the Scheduled Castes.
The Devendrakula Vellalars have been asking for regrouping of the seven communities under one title – ‘Devendra Kula Vellalar’ for more than three decades along with the demand for the removal of the community from the list of Scheduled Caste.
Dr. Krishnaswamy had said that the government cannot do a mere eye-wash and said that getting the community out of the Scheduled Caste remained their ultimate goal.
எங்களுக்குச் சலுகை வேண்டாம்,
SCயில் இருப்பதே முன்னேற்றத்திற்கான முட்டுக்கட்டை என மக்கள் முழக்கமிடுகிறார்கள்.SC பட்டியல் வெளியேற்றம் – தமிழராய், இந்துவாக, இந்தியராக ஒன்றுபடப் போடப்படும் முதல் படிக்கல்!#RemoveUsFromScheduleCaste #jan6thdevendrarrally pic.twitter.com/d2tAbSkWrg
— புதிய தமிழகம் கட்சி (@PTpartyOfficial) January 4, 2021
Dr. Shyam Krishnasamy, youth wing leader of Puthiya Tamilagam and son of Dr. Krishnasamy said that removal from SC list is the first step in uniting Tamils, Hindus and Indians.
Devendra Kula Velalars under the leadership of @DrKrishnasamy to hold a rally in Madurai on 6th Jan, demanding to be removed from scheduled caste.
This Community believes delisting from SC is the first step in integrating as Hindus, Tamils and Indian.#RemoveUsFromScheduleCaste pic.twitter.com/QFxFqn456x
— Shyam Krishnasamy (@DrShyamKK) January 3, 2021