12 communities, including Narikuravans, to receive ST status

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to add 12 villages to the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list, fulfilling a long-standing desire of various underprivileged communities. The tribes from Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh are among them, as are the nomadic Narikuravan and Kuruvikaran from Tamil Nadu.

Arjun Munda, the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, told the media that the judgement has given the communities justice and given them fresh hope. Separate laws to alter the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 will be required for their inclusion, he continued, NIE reported.

Other groups receiving ST designation include the Gond and its five subcastes in the Bhadohi (formerly Sant Ravidas Nagar) region of Uttar Pradesh, the Betta-Kuruba community in Karnataka (also known as Kadu Kuruba), and the Binjhia in Chhattisgarh. The Hattee community in the Trans-Giri area in Sirmour district will be added to the state's ST list in Himachal Pradesh that is set to hold elections.

The Narikuravans and Kuruvikarans of Tamil Nadu began their fight in 1965 in response to the Lokur panel's suggestion to shift their status from the Most Backward Community to the ST. Their living conditions are anticipated to improve with ST status. The majority of their work is traditional hunter-gatherer activities and the sale of bead necklaces.

M. G. Ramachandran, a former chief minister, urged the Central government to add Narikuravars to the ST list in 1980. Former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa asked again in 2013.