Nearly 76 Irulars Detained Amid March To Chennai In Demand Of Caste Certificates, Know Its Importance

Several years have passed since the hundreds of members of the Irula community from the Panruti, Cuddalore, and Kurunjipadi taluks petitioned for caste certificates. But what has happened so far? Here's the latest update.

In December 2022, the police detained 76 members of the Irula group as they marched from Cuddalore to Chennai, demanding caste certificates. According to sources, nearly 700 Irulars from Panruti, Cuddalore, and Kurunjipadi have requested caste certificates but have not yet received them.

Some community members have waited for more than 15 years for their credentials. As a result, the Pazhankudi Irular Pathugappu Sangam announced a march from Cuddalore to Chennai to present their demands to the Chief Minister.

When close to 76 people, some of whom were women, gathered in front of the Ambedkar statue in Manjakuppam, Cuddalore, on Wednesday to start their march, the police intervened with gusto. The protestors were taken into custody and later released from a private marriage hall in Cuddalore.

Athiyaman Kaviarasu, the Cuddalore Revenue Divisional Officer, called a reconciliation meeting to appease the protestors, but it was unsuccessful, probably because the matter has reached its boiling point and has been strung along for ages now.

A member of the Irulars association commented, "Many people from our area are waiting for their caste certificates, as officials are not visiting our areas to verify the details. With the state government implementing the online method for registration, it has become more difficult for us, as the documents required for online registration are not available with most of us, since our ancestors didn't have any caste or resident certificates."

Importance Of Caste Certificate

A community certificate serves as evidence of membership in a specific caste and community, particularly when the applicant is a member of one of the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), or other Backward Classes (OBC).

To know the documents required for obtaining a caste certificate or help with the process of applying for one, your best bet would be to seek help from the experts at Vakilsearch. Their veteran legal experts are proficient at making all things legal simple and citizen-friendly.

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