Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expeditiously intervene to include the Narikoravan, Kuruvikkaran communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in the southern state. Highlighting the pending inclusion in a letter to Modi on Saturday, March 19, Stalin pointed out that the Director of Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs had stated in a 2013 letter that the Registrar General of India had also agreed to a proposal to include the “Narikoravan grouped with Kuruvikkaran community” into the list of STs in the state.
Stalin also stated that expert bodies like the Lokur Committee and the Joint Committee of Parliament had also recommended their inclusion in 1965 and 1967 respectively. As the reason for seeking these communities’ inclusion in the ST list, the CM noted that Narikoravars said Narikuravars are one of the most deprived and vulnerable communities in Tamil Nadu and, therefore, deserve all the constitutional protection and welfare measures offered under the list.
"Though this has been the case and several representations have been made in this regard, the inclusion of this community in the list is pending for a very long time. Therefore, I request you to kindly intervene in this matter to expeditiously include Narikoravan / Kuruvikkaran communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in the State of Tamil Nadu,” he said.
தமிழ்நாட்டில் உள்ள நரிக்குறவன் / குருவிக்காரன் சமூகத்தினரை,
— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) March 19, 2022
பழங்குடியினர் பட்டியலில் சேர்த்திட விரைவான நடவடிக்கை
எடுக்குமாறு மாண்புமிகு முதலமைச்சர் @mkstalin அவர்கள் மாண்புமிகு பிரதமர் @narendramodi அவர்களுக்கு கடிதம் எழுதியுள்ளார். pic.twitter.com/s4J3UzXSV3
The Narikoravan community is currently included in the Most Backward Classes list, though they have the cultural traits necessary to be included in the ST list. The community has been included in the ST list in states such as Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, while the process is in its final stage in Tamil Nadu, a memorandum by the Narikuravar Sangam in Puducherry stated last year.
(With inputs from PTI and IANS)