Irulas to boycott Lok Sabha polls

VILLUPURAM: The Pazhangudi Irular Padhukappu Iyakkam has said that Irulas have decided to boycott the election to the Villupuram Lok Sabha constituency to protest non issuance of community certificates for long. Coordinator of the Iyakkam Prabha.Kalvimani told The Hindu that the movement at its executive body meeting held at Tindivanam passed a resolution in this regard.

The Irulas residing in Villupuram, Vanur, Ulundurpet, Thirukkoilur and Kallakurichi blocks were awaiting the certificates for years together. One-and-half-years ago Higher Education Minister K.Ponmudy had instructed the district administration to issue the certificates to 1,091 applicants but it was yet to materialise.

However, Mr Kalvimani said the officials had issued 261 certificates to the Irulas residing at Tindivanam and Ginjee blocks but in other places a total number of 830 applications were pending.

For want of certificates the wards of Irulas could not pursue higher education nor could they get the benefits of various welfare schemes. They could not even become members of the welfare board constituted by the government. If remedial measures were not taken before the elections the Irulas would not exercise their franchise, Mr Kalvimani said.
Literacy rate

He said that the literacy rate among the Iruals was just 12 per cent as against the State average of 73.4 per cent. Therefore, to enable the spread of literacy the Iyakkam had called upon the Irulas to let their wards attend the summer coaching camps being organised by St Anne’s School (from May 5 to 15 at Tindivanam), Neyveli Tamil Sangham (from May 1 to 31 at Neyveli) and the Loyola College in Chennai.

Mr. Kalvimani alleged that efforts were being made to divert the allotment made to the Irulas in the Kundalapuliyur cluster houses to other communities. Therefore, the Iyakkam appealed to the authorities to ensure that the Irulas get their rightful share of the tenements.