The census 2011 and the enumeration exercise thereof, has been giving the Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Caste members across the country, a very harrowing time and is set to deprive lakhs of people out of their Schedule Caste/Schedule tribe status. Surely, this has not been done on purpose. However, considering that the Unique Identity Development Authority of India (UIDAI) will also be using the data from the census enumeration sheets of 2011 as the basis for their biometric application, the matter threatens to make the omission a permanent denial of SC/SC status.
This time every state in the country has been supplied with a list of SC/ST specifically pertaining to their particular state. The census authority of India of 2011, has issued a booklet on “Instruction manual for updating abridged house list and filling up of household schedule”. Under question 8 of the manual on page 46 under the heading Schedule Caste/Schedule Tribe, it had been clearly instructed that even though a person claims to be SC/ST, if “she/he does not belong to any of the notified communities applicable in the area, as reflected in the list supplied to you, he/she will not be reckoned as belonging to a scheduled caste or tribe”. Period.
Thousands of Naga boys of girls are studying in various parts of the country, in many institutions, college and universities. A lot are employed in Central Government, PSUs, private companies and NGOs, military and paramilitary services across the country. No Naga tribe is recognized anywhere else except in four states of the North-East. Will our boys and girls who are away from home learning or earning, lose their schedules tribe henceforth simply because they were away from their native places when the census enumerators came? Does the Government expect everyone to return to their native place for census 2011 as in the Biblical times or do we now have more civilized ways and means? Going by the ‘’list supplied to you” clause, in the present situation, everyone will have to return home for the Iris scanning, finger printing etc. in the near future. Why should not our people be allowed to give all these tests at their particular place of learning or posting? The move is set to deny SC/ST status its genuine members across the country and the numbers are likely to run into lakhs.
I am from the Poumai tribe of Manipur which is not a recognized naga tribe of Nagaland. Having settled in Dimapur since long I had given renumeration here and have been enumerated, as per the instructions, under 8(a) 3i.e. not ST. The Poumai tribe is not an indegenious tribe of Nagaland that is sure but surely my tribes name appear in the scheduled tribe list of the country and that is provided by the Parliament vide CONSTITUTION ( SCHEDULED TRIBE) Order 1950 then under Mao tribe and Constitution (Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe) Orders (Amendment) Act 2002. My scheduled tribe status cannot be taken away arbitrarily by such a seemingly innocuous exercise. By the same yardstick, the Chief Secretary of Nagaland, stands to loose his scheduled tribe status as Mizo tribe is not a recognized tribe in Nagaland as per the list supplied by the census authority. This is only a stray incident but this is the absurdity of question No. 8(a) & (b) of the enumeration sheet of Census 2011.
To set the anomaly right and save us the drudges of rushing to ones native place from the ends of the country at short notice, we propose a suggestion: That under Q8. /2, one more column (the space is already there) be provided so that it may read say, 2(ST) Poumai (Central list) or Mao (Central list).The naga tribes from Manipur Arunachal or Assam will be categorized under state list only in their respective states. Recorded elsewhere, say Delhi or Bangalore nagas will be recorded as scheduled tribe thus; Angami (Central list) ,Ao (Central list) Poumai (Central list) Mao (Central list). This way no one will feel deprived or more importantly ,marginalized. The enumerators will have to be provided with a central list in the manner the state list was provided.
However, since the last bus has already left the station, an alternative arrangement can be made. This anomaly could be rectified when the photographs, Iris scanning, finger printing etc are conducted. For the natives who are out of station, they may be allowed to take these tests at their places of learning or posting by addressing a simple letter to the local district census officer or any other way the Census authorities deem fit.. That would meet the ends of justice and our people will be saved from the troubles of rushing across the country to save their Schedule Tribe status.
This time every state in the country has been supplied with a list of SC/ST specifically pertaining to their particular state. The census authority of India of 2011, has issued a booklet on “Instruction manual for updating abridged house list and filling up of household schedule”. Under question 8 of the manual on page 46 under the heading Schedule Caste/Schedule Tribe, it had been clearly instructed that even though a person claims to be SC/ST, if “she/he does not belong to any of the notified communities applicable in the area, as reflected in the list supplied to you, he/she will not be reckoned as belonging to a scheduled caste or tribe”. Period.
Thousands of Naga boys of girls are studying in various parts of the country, in many institutions, college and universities. A lot are employed in Central Government, PSUs, private companies and NGOs, military and paramilitary services across the country. No Naga tribe is recognized anywhere else except in four states of the North-East. Will our boys and girls who are away from home learning or earning, lose their schedules tribe henceforth simply because they were away from their native places when the census enumerators came? Does the Government expect everyone to return to their native place for census 2011 as in the Biblical times or do we now have more civilized ways and means? Going by the ‘’list supplied to you” clause, in the present situation, everyone will have to return home for the Iris scanning, finger printing etc. in the near future. Why should not our people be allowed to give all these tests at their particular place of learning or posting? The move is set to deny SC/ST status its genuine members across the country and the numbers are likely to run into lakhs.
I am from the Poumai tribe of Manipur which is not a recognized naga tribe of Nagaland. Having settled in Dimapur since long I had given renumeration here and have been enumerated, as per the instructions, under 8(a) 3i.e. not ST. The Poumai tribe is not an indegenious tribe of Nagaland that is sure but surely my tribes name appear in the scheduled tribe list of the country and that is provided by the Parliament vide CONSTITUTION ( SCHEDULED TRIBE) Order 1950 then under Mao tribe and Constitution (Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe) Orders (Amendment) Act 2002. My scheduled tribe status cannot be taken away arbitrarily by such a seemingly innocuous exercise. By the same yardstick, the Chief Secretary of Nagaland, stands to loose his scheduled tribe status as Mizo tribe is not a recognized tribe in Nagaland as per the list supplied by the census authority. This is only a stray incident but this is the absurdity of question No. 8(a) & (b) of the enumeration sheet of Census 2011.
To set the anomaly right and save us the drudges of rushing to ones native place from the ends of the country at short notice, we propose a suggestion: That under Q8. /2, one more column (the space is already there) be provided so that it may read say, 2(ST) Poumai (Central list) or Mao (Central list).The naga tribes from Manipur Arunachal or Assam will be categorized under state list only in their respective states. Recorded elsewhere, say Delhi or Bangalore nagas will be recorded as scheduled tribe thus; Angami (Central list) ,Ao (Central list) Poumai (Central list) Mao (Central list). This way no one will feel deprived or more importantly ,marginalized. The enumerators will have to be provided with a central list in the manner the state list was provided.
However, since the last bus has already left the station, an alternative arrangement can be made. This anomaly could be rectified when the photographs, Iris scanning, finger printing etc are conducted. For the natives who are out of station, they may be allowed to take these tests at their places of learning or posting by addressing a simple letter to the local district census officer or any other way the Census authorities deem fit.. That would meet the ends of justice and our people will be saved from the troubles of rushing across the country to save their Schedule Tribe status.
