Former Chief Minister and currently State President of BJP Babulal Marandi has written to Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda in relation to the inclusion of Rautiya caste living under Jharkhand state in the list of Scheduled Tribes.
Drawing the Union Minister’s attention on the issue Marandi said, “You know that the people of Rautiya community have been living in Ranchi, Gumla, Simdega, Khunti, West Singhbhum and Seraikela districts for hundreds of years, whose main occupation is agriculture; apart from agriculture, they earn their livelihood only by doing labour and animal husbandry. The appearance, lifestyle, food, dress, customs, worship and life of the people of Rautiya society are similar to that of the tribal society.”
He said that the people of this society are economically, socially, educationally, politically backward. The literacy rate is also around 25 per cent. The people of this society do not get any special help from the government.
Marandi said that for all these reasons, the people of Rautiya community are demanding that Rautiya caste should be included in the list of Scheduled Tribes. As mentioned in the application, Rautiya community was included in the list of Scheduled Tribes by the Government of India on March 11, 1949, but was removed from the list of Scheduled Tribes in the year 1951 due to unknown reasons. Again, on the demand of the Rautiya community, the Tribal Research Institute, Ranchi has sent a recommendation letter to the Central Government several times to include the said caste in the list of Scheduled Tribes, but no initiative has been taken in this direction so far.
“Therefore, you are requested that in the light of the attached application and the letter of recommendation sent by the Government of Jharkhand, consider the inclusion of Rautiya caste in the list of Scheduled Tribes,” he stated.
In the context of the above topic, the application received from Akhil Bhartiya Rautiya Samaj Vikas Parishad, Pradesh Samiti, Gumla (Jharkhand) is being attached with the letter and being sent for further action, which would like to kindly observe, said the BJP leader.