Unable to access government support, TN students from Malayalee tribes stage protests seeking ST community certificates

The ST community certificates, once issued to these Malayalee tribes from Bargur and Kalimalai Hills, will ensure them government support, especially for thier education
Students from Malayalee tribes in TN stage protests, demanding for ST community certificates
Students from Malayalee tribes in TN stage protests, demanding for ST community certificates

A large number of students from Bargur and Kalimalai (Kadambur) Hills of Bargur and Thalavadi taluks, respectively, staged a protest, seeking community certificates for Malayalee tribals, on Monday.

Heading the stir, State President of Tamil Nadu ST (Malayalee) Peravai T Varadaraju said that over 15,000 malayalee tribal families were living in the two hills. Members of the past three generations had filed several petitions claiming community certificates but in vain. He further said that though one per cent quota was reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) communities in education and job sectors, the tribals could not avail of any of the benefits due to lack of certificates notifying their caste or community. If such certificates were available, the Central government would bear the entire educational expenditure of the students, including hostel fee. But, due to lack of such certificates, the students had to discontinue with their studies at school level becoming economically, socially and educationally unviable, he added.

In 1990, the director of ST research centre in Ooty declared that Malayalee tribes were living in Erode district and recommended the government to give them ST certificates stating the same. The research centre also confirmed this in its reports, in the years 2002 and 2013. But till date its recommendation was has not been considered.

Relatives of the members of the tribes in Salem, Tiruchy, Namakkal, Perambalur, Villupuram, Vellore, Dharmapuri, and Thiruvannamalai however, have already been issued such certificates.

Coimbatore district government gazetteer, published in 1887, mentioned that Malayalee tribes were living at Bargur and Kalimalai and they were related to the Malayalee tribes in Servaryan and Kollimalai hills.

The Salem district gazetteer, published in 1918, also cited that Malayalee tribals were living at Bargur, Kalimalai and Palamalai in the district and they were related to the tribals of Kollimalai. Among them, the tribals of Palamalai were already being issued ST Malayalee certificates.

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