A rally was organised in Delhi on Tuesday demanding inclusion of the ‘Kudumi Tribe’ in the Scheduled Tribe list.
The matter pertaining to the Kudumi tribe was raised by Baleswar MP RK Jena in the Parliament on February 26 last year. He had urged the authorities to categorize the Kudumi tribe as ST and initiate surveys and research on the Kudumi tribe, their history and practices, so that they will have the fair opportunity to develop and progress with the rest of the nation.
“During my demand in the House, I presented certain facts pertaining to the socio-economic problems being faced by the Kudumi (or Kurmi) community in our country, owing to decades of confusion about their status in the Constitution of India. While the Constitution presently categorises them as a backward class, the Kudumis have, for many decades, claimed tribal status,” said Jena.
Census records show that they were categorised in 1931 as ‘primitive tribe’ and in 1941, as ‘tribal Hindus’ in Mayurbhanj and as ‘Kshatriyas’ in other areas. However, the advisory committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded areas, formed in 1946, excluded the Kudumis while submitting their report, which resulted in their non-inclusion in the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950.
The Advisory Committee’s scope was limited to India excluding the Princely States, as they existed in 1946. However, over the next few years, many of these States had merged into neighbouring provinces, and should have been treated as part of those Provinces, in the estimation of tribal populations in the country. The Odisha Princely States (or Gadjats) were examples of such States.
Kudumis resided in the Gadjats and were not treated as STs. The tribe retains several totemic practices and has a separate language, Kudmali.
“The community has been unjustly deprived for years of the facilities the Constitution guarantees to other Scheduled Tribes. Only in Odisha, the estimated population of the community is 25 lakh, a considerable number of who are in my constituency as well,” Jena said, adding “The rally was yet another step towards urging authorities to consider inclusion of Kudumi tribe as STs. We will continue to raise our voice for our people till they get what they truly deserve.”