KORAPUT/JEYPORE: Three tribal communities of the district have threatened that they will cast vote in favour of NOTA (none of the above option) during the ensuing General Elections protesting the delay in getting tribal status for their groups. Prospective candidates need to be wary of the NOTA factor as local activists are on an intense campaign to create awareness on the option. 

Voters of three tribal communities - Dora, Kamar and Rana - have decided to press the NOTA button in the elections because they are deprived of ST status. They alleged that the local leaders had promised to accord tribal status for these communities in 2014 polls. But they have failed to keep their promise, said Kamar Samaj president Bhagban Golori.

Supporting the cause, Dora community president Baidyanath Gemel said they will participate in the democratic process, but will take the NOTA route in this election as a mark of protest for unfulfilled demands. The political leaders have been betraying the community for the last few decades. Even Pottangi MLA Prafulla Pangi had made an agreement in writing with representatives of the communities promising that Dora, Kamar, Rana, Puttia (Dulia), Mali and Gouda castes will get tribal status if he gets elected in 2014 elections. But no step has been taken in this regard yet and the issue was not raised even once by him in the Assembly, Gemel added.

Since the British era, the communities such as Gouda, Rana, Mali, Muka, Dora, Kamar and Kumbar were considered as hill tribes. But later, these castes were considered as general category in Odisha, while it got tribal status in Andhra Pradesh in 1956. However, after implementation of Mandal Commission report in 1990s, these communities were brought under OBC category, he said.

Rana Samaj leader K P Majhi said both the State and Central governments have failed to provide ST status to Rana, Kamar and Dora communities despite repeated demands. While these communities are enjoying the benefits of ST status in neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, the same castes in Odisha are being deprived of Government facilities.

As per report, these three communities have about 4.12 lakh population in the region and their NOTA decision will affect the candidates.

Meanwhile, the leaders of these communities have launched a campaign to create awareness on NOTA among the voters in the region.