Part III - Andaman and Nicobar Islands

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24 Smti Frieda George informs that Commission that the only doctor of the Community is in Class A service and that she herself along as the Principal of the Nursing Training School of the Islands is in Group B. there are 58/59 in Group-C in Medical, Police, Transport, Education, Veterinary etc. and about 10/15 in Group D as watchmen, ward-attendants etc. From the informations detailed above, it becomes quite clear that the Karens fully deserve being designated as OBCs. 1. They are a tribal people and it is common knowledge that tribals are backward everywhere. The Karens are no exception. Their almost total dependence on agriculture and working as labourers, and the part played by their women and children show their backwardness. Nobody says that they ever had a member in any Gram Panchayat. 2. Their poor participation in the educational activities whether in the lower or the higher rungs also indicates their backwardness. 3. The kutcha houses of the Karens indicate their backwardness. So also do their representation in Group A and B Posts by only one member of the community each. The greater representation of the community in C and D Groups of Posts also show just that. Had the Karens been an Indian Tribe they would have in all certainty been given the status of a Scheduled Tribe in recognition of the general backwardness of tribals. Here in these Islands all we can do in view so their being Tribals together with their backwardness in social, Educational and Economic fields is to recommend for their inclusion in the list of OBCs of the Islands. Local Borns Now we take up the case of the Local Borns. We have already stated how this community has come into being(see P.6) we now proceed to consider their condition-social, educational and economic.
25 Social condition of the Local Born. As a community the Local Borns are considerably more numerous than the other pre-42 communities. Proportionately there are more educated and more qualified men amongst themselves. But for historical reasons over which the Local born had no control and the ensuing non-adherence to the orthodox customs of caste, especially in matrimonial alliances, the Mainlander did not and still does not consider the Local Born quite the same as himself. This discrimination acts as a negative force in keeping him tied to this moorings and stands in his way of spiraling up and competing with the Mainlander. 2. As per the Classification Table(See Page I) drawn up on the basis of the sample survey, the income of the Local Born source wise is as follows:- Col.6. Agriculture = 7.94 Col.7. Wage = 8.88 Col.8. Others = 81.34 Mr. Govind Ram, General Secretary of the Local Born Association who met the Commission along with Mr.John Lobo, President and Dr.Rasheed, Member, Executive Council of the said Association asserted that the figure against Col.6 ie. Agriculture should be more than 7.94 as shown in the Table. His view finds support from the Office bearers and Members of the Tushnabad Gram Panchayat, Sarpanch, Hobdypur and Smti. Sumitra Devi, Member, Zilla Parishad whom the Commission met on 29.04.2000. The Commission was told that there are 80 pre-1942 families at Tushnabad Village and 50 pre-1942 families at Hobdipur village. It is asserted that agriculture is the main occupation of the villagers whose predecessors were settled in these two villages in or about 1900. At the time of the settlement each family was allotted 3 to 4 acres of paddy land, a house site and 7/8 bighas of land for horticultural purposes. After so many years each married family has 1/2 bighas of land and many have no land at all . Yield of paddy is about 25 mds. per acre. From agriculture a family earns about Rs.8000/- a year. The supplement their income the male members works as daily rated labourers for about three months in a year during off agricultural season and also go for fishing . The situation is
Page 1 and 2: 21 1. The Moplahs are a backward co
Page 3: 23 fields belonging to the family a
Page 7 and 8: 27 Commission refuses to believe th
Page 9 and 10: 29 many of the community have pract

Part III - Andaman and Nicobar Islands

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