COIMBATORE: Ahead of the Assembly elections, the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) on Wednesday released its election manifesto for social justice, outlining a set of demands to safeguard the rights and welfare of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the State.
Addressing the media in Coimbatore, P Sugandhi, general secretary of the Front, called for a separate law to prevent caste-based honour killings. “We welcome the initiative to set up a commission, but the government should enact legislation and actively promote inter-caste marriages through incentives,” she said.
Sugandhi also highlighted disparities in the education sector, noting that over 13,000 students, predominantly from SC, ST, and OBC communities, had reportedly dropped out of higher educational institutions in recent years. “Concrete measures are needed to ensure equitable access to education and to eliminate caste-based discrimination in schools and colleges,” she emphasised.
The manifesto further demanded the retrieval and redistribution of 12 lakh acres of panchami land to rightful beneficiaries. “Nearly 98 per cent of tribal communities remain landless. The government must identify suitable land for allocation and ensure housing for the homeless,” she said.
Raising concerns over the implementation of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, it urged that procedural timelines, such as filing charge sheets within 60 days and delivering judgments within 120 days, be strictly enforced. The Front also called for the establishment of special courts in every district to handle SC/ST cases, citing that the existing 11 courts are insufficient.
The manifesto includes demands for proportionate reservation in education, employment, and economic opportunities based on population, particularly for SC and ST communities. TNUEF state president T Chellakannu and other senior office-bearers were present at the event.