​Cabinet nod for ST status for Narikuravas: G K Vasan

CHENNAI: The persistent efforts of the community and political parties from the state had the Union cabinet approving the inclusion of Narikuravas, a nomadic community of TN, in the Scheduled Tribes list. Currently, they're listed as Most Backward Community.

Shipping minister G K Vasan said, "The cabinet has taken a decision in favour of the Narikuravas during its meeting last month." He said the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee had taken up the cause with PM Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and the ministry of tribal affairs.

The tribe is known by different names, including Narikoravan, Narikoravar, Kuruvikkaran and Kuruvikkarar. The minority community is socially, educationally and economically backward and was earlier classified under MBC list along with vanniyars and gounders. This categorisation did not help its members reap the government's grants and incentives.

Lack of education had the community changing place of stay frequently for want of occupation. "With our community being enlisted in the ST list, we will now get the benefits of other Scheduled Tribes, besides social status and protection," Tamil Nadu Narikurava Federation president R Subramanian said. He said there were a few who managed to graduate but only got jobs in the private sector.

"The community's inclusion in ST list will guaranteeover children the right to government jobs on a par with other Scheduled Tribes," he said. Now, getting houses under the government's group housing scheme would not be a problem for the members, who otherwise live in tents on the roadside, especially in districts like Trichy, Perambalur, Thanjavur and Ariyalur.