Children of Athiyan nomadic tribe miss out on benefits meant for STs as schools classify them under different categories

About 12,000 Athiyan community members living across 18 districts in Tamil Nadu are said to be missing out on various benefits meant for STs as they have not been issued caste certificate

The Athiyan community in Pudukkottai’s Vellanur Panchayat, known as “Boom Boom Mattukarar”, faces hardship as its members do not have community certificates, hindering access to education and jobs.

Despite being eligible for Scheduled Tribe (ST) benefits, many are misclassified in school records, losing out on scholarships and government support.

The community, traditionally known for fortune-telling with decorated cows, now makes dolls, believed to ward off bad luck, which are hung in vehicles, stores, and homes due to financial constraints. Many women in the community are involved in rag picking.

Students from the community are often recorded under different categories such as MBC, SC, or general, instead of ST in school records. For instance, Neela K, a Class X dropout, is marked as MBC while Chinnamuthu V. and Hariharan K. are listed as SC and general category respectively. This misclassification denies them the benefits meant for STs such as scholarships and reservation.

Among the 47 families comprising 218 members of the Athiyan community, 40 women and 30 men fall within the 18-25 age group. However, only two men have completed higher education. Among the women, the highest educational qualification so far is Class X.

S. Thamizharasan, 20, who completed a B.A. in History, and V. Chinnamuthu, 25, who holds a B.E. in Automobile Engineering, are the only graduates in the community. Both have been attempting government exams since completing their Class X, but under the general category as they do not have ST caste certificate that could make them eligible for reservation.

Mr. Chinnamuthu has taken the police constable exam three times, the sub-inspector exam once, TNPSC Group 2 once, Group 4 twice, and an exam for the Border Security Force. Mr. Thamizharasan has appeared for Group 2, Group 4, and SSC General Duty exams, with aspirations to clear the UPSC and become a District Collector.

“I collect plastics and scrap metal for money and also tutor children in my community in the evenings,” said Mr. Chinnamuthu. “It’s discouraging when others in the community point to my degree and say, ‘Even with a degree, you’re doing this; why should we study?’ It hurts me and is unhealthy for the future of our community.”

K. Veeraiyan, State President of the Thamizhaga Athiyan Pazhangudi Makkal Nala Sangam, said that without community certificates for 12,000 Athiyan community members across 18 districts has led to high dropout rates, limiting access to education and jobs.

C. Raja, a government school teacher and activist, highlighted malnutrition, especially among babies and women, and the educational challenges faced by children. While many attend elementary school, continuing beyond Class VI is difficult due to long distances and financial constraints. As a result, students often attend school part-time and spend the rest of the week rag picking to support their families.

In addition to Vellanur Panchayat, members of the Athiyan community reside in Avudayarkoil and Manalmelkudi in Pudukkottai district.

Pudukkottai District Collector M. Aruna acknowledged the issue stating that steps were being taken to issue the certificates. “We plan to issue certificates to four persons as a first step and will work towards providing more. Since they are a nomadic tribe, wider consultations are necessary, including input from anthropologists,” she said and assured the community of the administration’s commitment to ensuring their rights.

Published - October 18, 2024 07:40 pm IST