The DMK President M. Karunanidhi has today requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include Dalit Christians and fishermen community in Scheduled Tribes list and he has thanked Mr. Modi for the recent cabinet’s decision to include Narikuravars in the list of Scheduled Tribes, and it was a demand made by DMK for a very long time and expressed satisfaction that it had been fulfilled.
Karunanidhi added that the DMK has been demanding that the SC and STs after conversion to Christianity should be treated as SC and STs and allowed all concessions and privileges and there were precedents such as recognition of Sikh Christians and Buddhist Christians.
He also said that the fishermen community should be included in the ST category as marine tribes and the fishermen community, by their very geographical nature, is socially and educationally akin to the Scheduled Tribes.
Mr. Karunanidhi requested Mr. Modi to “consider the two demands and sought an early action by the government and meanwhile the Union Cabinet has given its approval for inclusion of three communities, including Narikuravar, from the state under the Scheduled Tribes category.
