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The Hindu
24-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
CPI protests over L. Murugan's remarks on ST status for Malayali community in Erode
Condemning Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan's recent remarks on Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Malayali Gounder community, the Communist Party of India (CPI) held a demonstration in the Kadambur Hills on Thursday (July 24, 2025). The protest was led by CPI district committee member K. Ramasamy, with North district secretary S. Mohan Kumar and others joining in. They criticised Mr. Murugan's claim that the Tamil Nadu government had failed to pass a legislative resolution— a prerequisite, he asserted, for granting ST status. Protesters pointed out that while Malayali people across Tamil Nadu have been recognised as STs and issued certificates, those in Bargur and Kadambur Hills remain classified under 'Others.' As a result, they are denied access to ST-specific benefits in education, employment, and welfare schemes. The community has been seeking ST status for over five decades. Tiruppur MP K. Subbarayan has raised the issue multiple times in Parliament. In response, the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs stated that a recommendation from the State government was required. The State has since submitted the proposal, which is currently under review by the Centre. The CPI urged the Centre to introduce and pass the necessary legal amendment during the ongoing Parliament session to grant ST status to Malayalis in Erode district without further delay. The party slammed Mr. Murugan's claim regarding the need for a State Assembly resolution, calling it a diversionary tactic aimed at delaying the process and shifting blame onto the State government. They noted that neither Parliamentary discussions nor official communications from the Union Ministry had ever cited such a requirement. Mr. Murugan's remarks, they said, were misleading and served only to deflect attention from the Centre's responsibility.
The Hindu
22-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
As families migrate, Erode hamlet without roads or power left with only one student
The absence of motorable roads, electricity, and stable income sources has driven most families from a remote hamlet to migrate to the plains, leaving behind only one boy studying at the Panchayat Union Middle School in Malliamman Durgham. The village, nestled deep inside the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Erode's Kadambur Hills, currently has just one teacher posted at the school. In the 2024-25 academic year, eight students were enrolled in Classes 1 to 8. However, six of them obtained transfer certificates (TCs) after their families relocated to work in sugarcane fields. Of these, two girls were admitted to the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya and are now staying in hostels. In the current academic year, one of the two remaining students also left the school after obtaining a TC. A temporary staff member was posted at the beginning of the academic year, and a permanent teacher was appointed two weeks ago. Poor accessibility The village is accessible only after a two-hour journey by pick-up van along a rugged nine-kilometre path from Kadambur. Of the original 159 families (636 individuals), fewer than 40 now remain in the hamlet. The residents, all belonging to the Malayali Gounder community, rely solely on millet cultivation for subsistence. 'There is no income here, and the solar lighting systems installed in 2018 have long stopped working. Only kerosene lanterns light our homes,' said C. Kaliappan, a resident. M.K. Subramani, the hamlet's first graduate, said most families had migrated to Sathyamangalam in search of jobs and educational opportunities for their children, returning only during festivals. 'To prevent further migration and the complete abandonment of the hamlet, road connectivity and electricity must be provided immediately,' he urged. No power The village has remained largely disconnected since Independence, with only brief access to electricity in 1972 and a short-lived solar lighting initiative in 2018. A hero stone with an inscription found in the area indicates that the hamlet was once part of the Vijayanagar Empire in the 14th century. A senior official at the District Educational Office, Gobichettipalayam, told The Hindu a team would soon visit the hamlet to verify whether any other children are not attending school. 'If so, they will be enrolled,' the official said.
The Hindu
21-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
CPI to stage protest over Union Minister's remarks on ST status for Malayali community
Condemning Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan's recent statement that the State government had failed to pass a resolution regarding Scheduled Tribes (ST) status for the Malayali Gounder community in the district, the Communist Party of India (CPI) announced that it will stage a demonstration in Kadambur on July 24. According to the CPI, over 25,000 people of Malayali ethnicity reside in the Kadambur and Bargur Hills in the district. While their counterparts in other hilly regions of Tamil Nadu have been recognised as Scheduled Tribes and issued ST certificates, those in these two hill areas have not been granted similar recognition, instead being categorised simply as members of the Malayali community under the Other Castes. As a result, they have been deprived of educational and employment benefits available to ST communities, and their long-standing demand for recognition remains unfulfilled. During a recent visit to Kadambur, Mr. Murugan reportedly stated that the delay in granting ST status was due to the State government's failure to pass a resolution in Assembly. In response, the CPI, in a statement, strongly condemned the Minister's remarks and clarified that the issue had been raised multiple times in Parliament by Tiruppur MP K. Subbarayan. The statement further noted that in March 2025, Nilgiris MP A. Raja, along with Kadambur residents, met Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram in New Delhi and submitted a representation on the matter. 'Even then, the issue was not addressed,' the statement said. The CPI also pointed out that, in its various communications to the State government, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs had never requested a resolution from the State Assembly. 'Instead of introducing a necessary amendment in Parliament to include Erode district in the ST list, the Union Ministry is attempting to divert the issue,' the statement said. In protest, the CPI will hold a demonstration in Kadambur on July 24, the statement added.
