Lok Sabha nod to amend Tamil Nadu SC list ahead of polls

Six Presidential Orders were issued specifying Scheduled Castes in respect of various states and union territories

As campaigning for Tamil Nadu elections picked up the pace, the Lok Sabha on Friday passed a Bill to modify the scheduled castes list to include seven sub-castes clubbed into one as Devendrakula Vellalar.

The AIADMK-BJP alliance is seeking to reap political benefits in the Assembly election by acceding to the decades-old demand that was ignored by chief ministers J Jayalalithaa and M Karunanidhi who feared that it would unsettle the caste matrix in the state.

However, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced in December last year that the seven sub-sects—Devendrakulathan, Kudumban, Pannadi, Kaalaadi, Kadayan, Pallan and Patharian—will be called 'Devendrakula Vellalars' to ensure that the communities continue to enjoy the same reservation in education and jobs.

The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed by the Lok Sabha in the extended sitting of the House on Friday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a visit to Tamil Nadu last month, had announced that the government had accepted the demand of the Devendrakula Vellalars and a Bill would be passed over this in the ongoing budget session.

The seven sub-sects collectively constitute around 17.07% of the SC community in Tamil Nadu, as per the 2011 census.

Replying to the discussion on the bill, Union Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot said the provisions of the law dealing with atrocities on SCs and STs have been made stringent. Besides extending financial aid, legal assistance is also being extended to those affected.

BJP member Umesh Jadhav said the bill will give justice to about 30 to 40 lakh people who have been raising the demand for about the last 60-70 years.

Shiv Sena member Rahul Shewale appreciated the central government’s move and sought similar favourable action in granting reservation to the Maratha community in Maharashtra.

BSP member Girish Chandra said that the discrimination against the SC and ST communities in Tamil Nadu is high which should end once for all.

Earlier, CPI leader D Raja had said that the decision to bringing all sub-sects of the Devandrakula Vellalar community under one umbrella was an attempt to protect the caste system and establishing the BJP in Tamil Nadu.