Puthirai Vannar community made to relive wretched past

TENKASI:For the members of a community treated as outcastes by even the most marginalised Scheduled Caste (SC) communities such as Devendrakula Velalar and Paraiyars, Puthirai Vannars’ fight to get community certificates, ironically, hinges on their ability to produce proof to show that they are still practising their condemned caste-based occupation of washing clothes, conducting post-death rituals, and working as hairdressers for other SC communities. 

Activist S Isaivanan, who is helping the students of the community get caste certificates, said several students had to discontinue their education and adult members of the community could not become members of Tamil Nadu Puthirai Vannar Welfare Board because of lack of community certificates.

“A community certificate application filed by B Tharanya, an SSLC student from Melagaram, was rejected by Tenkasi tahsildar on August 18, 2022, saying that the applicant has not produced proof to show that she was performing her traditional caste-based occupation. Application of her father, S Balasubramanian, was also rejected for the same reason though he was employed in a salon. The tahsildar later issued caste certificates after my intervention,” he said. 

“Applications filed by 13 students of Karkudi village of Shengottai taluk were also rejected recently. After members of Poorviga Tamilar Viduthalai Katchi staged a protest last week, VAO and revenue inspector inquired with two retired VAOs of the village and sent a recommendation to the tahsildar who issued community certificates on Tuesday.

Applications filed by Chandrasekar, another student, has been rejected six times. The poor student got SC certificate in his seventh attempt after spending more than Rs 1,000 on document and application charges,” said Isaivanan, who  also shared documents with remarks of officials rejecting caste certificates, with TNIE.  

Girl forced to show photos of puberty event

SPEAKING to TNIE, G Ruban of Kottakulam village said that he gave up his dream of pursuing higher education and becoming a policeman because of lack of SC certificate. “I am now working in a sawmill as a daily-wage labourer. My grandmother, who is Hindu, named my mother as Anthonyammal as per the wishes of a relative.

Citing that my mother’s name is a Christian name, my sister G Manju and I were denied SC community certificates. My sister, who graduated school in 2020, could not join a college because of no certificate. We proved that we are Hindus by showing photos of Manju’s puberty ceremony to Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) of Tenkasi and got the SC certificate. By then, her one year of education had got wasted and she joined a government college only in 2022,” Ruban said.

Petitioned to Ministers, MP, Collector
In November 2021, Shengottai’s zonal deputy tahsildar had told applicant A Ramesh that he can get SC community certificate by submitting proof that he was serving as washerman for Pallar and Paraiyar communities.

District collector P Akash told TNIE that he instructed revenue staff not to reject any application of Puthirai Vannars on the ground that they are not involved in caste-based occupation.

Officials seek caste job proof 
In a shocking reply to one of the applicants, A Ramesh, in November 2021, Shengottai’s zonal deputy tahsildar had said Ramesh can get SC community certificate by submitting proof that he was serving as washerman for Pallar and Paraiyar communities

TENKASI:For the members of a community treated as outcastes by even the most marginalised Scheduled Caste (SC) communities such as Devendrakula Velalar and Paraiyars, Puthirai Vannars’ fight to get community certificates, ironically, hinges on their ability to produce proof to show that they are still practising their condemned caste-based occupation of washing clothes, conducting post-death rituals, and working as hairdressers for other SC communities.  Activist S Isaivanan, who is helping the students of the community get caste certificates, said several students had to discontinue their education and adult members of the community could not become members of Tamil Nadu Puthirai Vannar Welfare Board because of lack of community certificates. “A community certificate application filed by B Tharanya, an SSLC student from Melagaram, was rejected by Tenkasi tahsildar on August 18, 2022, saying that the applicant has not produced proof to show that she was performing her traditional caste-based occupation. Application of her father, S Balasubramanian, was also rejected for the same reason though he was employed in a salon. The tahsildar later issued caste certificates after my intervention,” he said.  “Applications filed by 13 students of Karkudi village of Shengottai taluk were also rejected recently. After members of Poorviga Tamilar Viduthalai Katchi staged a protest last week, VAO and revenue inspector inquired with two retired VAOs of the village and sent a recommendation to the tahsildar who issued community certificates on Tuesday. Applications filed by Chandrasekar, another student, has been rejected six times. The poor student got SC certificate in his seventh attempt after spending more than Rs 1,000 on document and application charges,” said Isaivanan, who  also shared documents with remarks of officials rejecting caste certificates, with TNIE.   Girl forced to show photos of puberty event SPEAKING to TNIE, G Ruban of Kottakulam village said that he gave up his dream of pursuing higher education and becoming a policeman because of lack of SC certificate. “I am now working in a sawmill as a daily-wage labourer. My grandmother, who is Hindu, named my mother as Anthonyammal as per the wishes of a relative. Citing that my mother’s name is a Christian name, my sister G Manju and I were denied SC community certificates. My sister, who graduated school in 2020, could not join a college because of no certificate. We proved that we are Hindus by showing photos of Manju’s puberty ceremony to Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) of Tenkasi and got the SC certificate. By then, her one year of education had got wasted and she joined a government college only in 2022,” Ruban said. Petitioned to Ministers, MP, Collector In November 2021, Shengottai’s zonal deputy tahsildar had told applicant A Ramesh that he can get SC community certificate by submitting proof that he was serving as washerman for Pallar and Paraiyar communities. District collector P Akash told TNIE that he instructed revenue staff not to reject any application of Puthirai Vannars on the ground that they are not involved in caste-based occupation. Officials seek caste job proof  In a shocking reply to one of the applicants, A Ramesh, in November 2021, Shengottai’s zonal deputy tahsildar had said Ramesh can get SC community certificate by submitting proof that he was serving as washerman for Pallar and Paraiyar communities