Kudmis to intensify stir demanding ST status

Baripada, Jan 25(UNI) The 'Kudumi Mohanta' in Orissa will intensify their on-going agitation to press for their longstanding demand of re-inclusion of the community in the Scheduled tribes' list.

The community, which was already in the list of scheduled tribes, was 'delisted' in the early fifties due to a political conspiracy of a section of people, Kudumi (Mohanta) Mahasabha Secretary-General Basanta Kumar Mohanta said.

The none inclusion of Kudmis in the ST list has deprived the community of achieving social and political aspirations during the last sixty years of independence, he said.

The community, Mr.Mohanta said, failed to send their political representatives to the state assembly, or to Parliament and none of the political parties nominated the community's representative for a Rajya Sabha berth.

Sources said the Kudumi mohantas will throng the Capital High School Padia on February three to attend the 'Maha-rally' to spell their demand with a louder voice, sources said.

The Kudumi Mohanta community are more concentrated in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Jajpur, Dhenkanal and Sambalpur.

UNI XC-DP PL RN1839