People's Democracy

 Retain Vettuvas under SC/ST List

CPI(M) MP Writes to PM

A CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member, A Vijayaraghavan, has sought the intervention of prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in correcting the injustice being done to Vettuva community of Kerala.

Vettuvas are a socially and economically backward community whose presence is scattered across the state of Kerala. They are traditional agricultural labourers engaged in coconut tree climbing and have been included in the SC/ST List. Now, it is learnt that the central government has decided to exclude a section of the Vettuvas belonging to the northern parts of the state (Trichur, Malappuram and Calicut) from the SC/ST List while retaining the section of the Vettuvas from the southern parts of the state i e the former Travancore-Cochin areas in the List.

Vijayaraghavan in his letter to prime minister on June 27 pointed out that the facility of reservation for this community has yet to uplift them in the field of education and gaining employment. They still remain backward, excepting a few rare cases.  Therefore the whole-hog exclusion of this community will severely dampen the prospects of this community in achieving socio-economic upliftment as envisaged in the Reservation policy, stated the CPI(M) MP.  He requested the prime minister to see that all Vettuvas are retained under the SC/ST list.