Fri Mar 21 12:45:08 UTC 2025: ## Nilgiris MP Seeks Scheduled Tribe Status for Erode Community

**New Delhi, March 21, 2025** – A. Raja, Member of Parliament from the Nilgiris, has petitioned the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Malayali Gounder community residing in the Erode district of Tamil Nadu. The community, currently categorized as Other Caste (OC), lives in the Kadambur and Bargur hills and has long been denied the benefits associated with ST status, including educational reservations and government jobs.

Mr. Raja’s petition, submitted to Minister Jual Oram on March 19th, highlights that despite a 1984 government order listing several districts as eligible for ST status, Erode was excluded. This exclusion has left over 30,000 Malayali Gounder community members without access to crucial welfare measures. The MP emphasized that the Tamil Nadu state government has already recommended the inclusion of Erode district in the list. He urged the Minister to expedite the process and amend the relevant legislation in Parliament. The petition was supported by representatives from the Malaival (ST) Malayali Makkal Nala Sangam.

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