Kudumbi - Caste Status

Caste Status

Before Independence the Maharaja of Kochi, by an order, classified the Kudumbis of Kerala under depressed class. However after India became a Republic, in 1950 the name of the community was omitted from the list of Scheduled Castes.When all the communities coming under depressed classes were included in SC/ST list, Kudumbis some how were left out.Considering the fact that Kudumbis are the most depressed and oppressed class of the society, the Kerala State Government in 1967 recommended for inclusion of this community in the list of Scheduled Castes. The parliamentary Select Committee examined the matter and visited Kerala in 1969. They collected evidence from concerned officials, representatives, social workers, etc. On 23 September 1969 the Committee recommended the Central Government to include Kudumbi community in the Scheduled Castes List. The Government accepted the recommendation and introduced an Amendment Bill including 42 communities in which Kudumbi community was at the 20th place. Out of these 42 communities, 38 communities have already been included in the Scheduled Castes List. Besides, the Kerala Institute of Research and Training Development Studies (KIRTADS) has also submitted a report stating that the Kudumbis deserve to be included in the SC category .Despite the recommendations of the State Government on a number of occasions, in 1978, 1982 and 2007, Kudumbis were deprived of their constitutional rights and benefits of being the Scheduled Castes of Kerala for the last 62 years. Sri.(Late)K Karunakaran, former Chief Minister of Kerala has assured the members of the Community to give a favourable consideration in regard to the long pending demand for inclusion of Kudumbi community in the list of Scheduled Castes and same was made an issue before Hon’ble Supreme Court in an election case filed to challenge his election held on 23.03.1987 . On 10.03.2008, Sri.M P Veerendra Kumar made a mention before the Parliament, under Rule 377, about the need to include 'Kudumbi' tribe of Kerala in the list of Scheduled Tribes category. Sri.M P Veerendra Kumar, who is a well known and prominent writer M. P. Veerendra Kumar & CMD of Mathrubhumi and Member of the Parliament of the 14th Lok Sabha, has brought to the notice of the Parliament that"Most of the Kudumbis are below poverty line.The literacy percentage of this community which has a population of around 3.5 lakh is below 26 percent whereas the states average literacy is more than 90 percent. None from the community could rise to any reputed position in government service". On 4 May 2012 by Sri.K P Dhanapalan M P made a special mention in the Parliament about the need to include the Kudumbi community of Kerala in SC List.. Smt.K.R.Gouri Amma K. R. Gowri Amma, in her autobiography narrated the backwardness of Kudumbi Community as " In the socio-political and in educational fields, the Kudumbis are backward". "They have demanded that they be counted as scheduled castes. In reality their lot is worse than that of the scheduled castes".With a Goan tribal legacy and unnoticed historical backwardness of the community, the KSS has repeatedly submitted representations to the Central and State governments demanding inclusion of the community in the Scheduled caste/ Scheduled tribe List. On 30 May 2012 a mass protest rally and train picketing was organised by KSS in Kochi demanding inclusion of the community in the lists. Thousands of Kudumbis, including women and children also participated in the rally. Earlier KSS had organised a similar protest march in New Delhi in December 2011 for the above said demand.