Putiya Community Members meet Jual Oram, seek ST Status

A delegation of Putiya community of Undivided Koraput District, Odisha submitted a memorandum to Union Minister of Tribal Affairs hon’ble Jual Oram at his New Delhi residence on 21st July 2016 and demanded for re-inclusion of Putiya (Dulia or Dhulia) in the Scheduled Tribe Lists.

The delegation was led by BJD Youth leader and Human Rights Activist Sankar Prasad Duria, who appraised the Union Minister about the pitiable conditions of the Putiya community of undivided Koraput district.

Putiyas were recognised as the Tribals by Government of India till 2002. But all of sudden, they were omitted from the Scheduled Tribe lists of Odisha in the Gazette of India 2003. The sudden u-turn on their tribal status is not known to them till date. Whereas, Putiya (Dulia or Dhulia) as sub-Tribe of Kotia (ST) in caste hierarchy neither figured in Scheduled Tribe (ST) lists nor in the SCs, OBCs, or SEBCs of Odisha from 2003 to till date.

As a result of which above 20000 Putiya (Dulia or Dhulia) people living in the undivided Koraput district are deprived of getting all the benefits under Scheduled Tribe status in terms of Reservation, Education, Health, Livelihood and Employment etc.

The Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes Research & Training Institute Report of 2011 reveals that the Putiya Families are 75% in Below Poverty Line and their literacy rate is 13.5% (Lowest even as compared with other tribal group). For the last seven years several communications have been made to the Government of Odisha and Government of India for the inclusion of Putiya (Dulia or Dhulia) in the Scheduled Tribe lists.

Most importantly,  the Government of Odisha, ST & SC vide letter no. 18609/SSD dated 19thSeptember 2015 already recommended to the Government of India for the inclusion of Putiya in the list of Scheduled Tribes.

Supreme Court Advocate cum Rights Activist Sri Radhakanta Tripathy, Putiya Samaj President Mr. Udhaba Golari and other members of the samaj Purna Chandara Golari, Jagannath Guntha, Nanda Burudi, Devaraj Khora, Changadi Pratap were present in the delegation.

Mr. Duria also presented the few facts in front of the Minister, and these are:

1. The Putiya (Dulia or Dhulia) community was Sub-Tribe of ‘Kotia’ (Schedule Tribe) appearing in the Final Report on the Major Settlement Operations in Koraput  District 1938-64, Odisha, Appendix -1, page no-246 at sl.no.45.
2. The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Orders Amendment Act-1956 clearly show the sub-tribe i.e Putiya, Dulia or Dhulia at sl. no 45. In reference to that the Gazette of India by Ministry of Home Affairs on October 29, 1956 published only the main tribe and not the sub tribe.
3. The “Agency Tracts” (i.e., the Scheduled districts as defined in Acts XIV and XV of 1874) included within the then districts of Ganjam and Vizagapatam under Madras Presidency. The entire district of Koraput was then included within the “Agency Tract” of the district of Vizagapatam.
4. After creation of the province of Orissa on the 1st April, 1936, the district of Koraput was formed and it consisted the major portion of the Agency tract of the district of Vizagapatam. The list of hill-tribes was amended by the Government of Orissa once in the year 1943 in Revenue department notification No. 148R, dated the 14th January 1943. As per the Final Report on the Major Settlement Operations in Koraput District 1938-64, the Putiya (Dulia or Dhulia) community was Hill-Tribe (Appendix -III, page-250, sl.no-39).

However, the Union Minister assured the Putiya Samaj to take possible actions in this regard. The same demand for tribal status has also been put forth to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes Chairman Dr. Rameshwar Oraon.