Vathiriyars stage protest, return voter ID cards

THOOTHUKUDI: Unhappy with the plan to include Vathiriyar community among seven others to be integrated as Devendrakula Velalar, a section of people belonging to the community returned their voter IDs to Thoothukudi tasildar, who refused to receive them. 

The people, headed by MuthaiapuramVathiriyar Ilaignar Narpani Mandram president Johnson besieged Thoothukudi taluk office on Thursday expressing disapproval of bringing their community under the Devendrakula Velalar fold.

At least 100 people from the community came with their voter ID cards to return it to the tahsildar claiming that the government had proposed to integrate them against their wishes. However, the tahsildar refused to take the IDs stating that he has no authority to do that and assured them that he would take their grievance to the higher authorities. 

Johnson said that it has been along-pending demand of the Vathiriyar people to delist them from Scheduled Caste and not to integrate them with the Devendrakula Velalars. The Vathiriyars have no connection with the people belonging to the six sub castes — Pallan, Kudumban, Pannadi, Kaladi, Kadaiyan and Devendrakulathan, who have been demanding to declare them as Devendrakula Velalars. Johnson said that some people belonging to the Pallar community in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi had obtained community certificates as Vathiriyars using forged documents.