Govt should appoint special commission to study backwardness of Ezhava-Thiyya communities: Vellappally Natesan

BENGALURU: SNDP Yogam General Secretary Vellappally Natesan has demanded that the Kerala government appoint a special commission to study the social, economic, and educational backwardness of the Ezhava-Thiyya communities and submit recommendations for addressing their issues.

He made the demand while inaugurating the concluding session of the three-day leadership camp organised by the SNDP Yogam.

“Ezhava-Thiyya communities, which played a crucial role in Kerala’s social renaissance movement, have now fallen behind in several sectors. They are facing serious challenges, including the high cost and low participation in higher education, unemployment, the social and economic difficulties faced by women, shortcomings in reservation policies, inadequate representation in government services, and the decline of traditional occupations,” Vellappally said.

He said that no objective studies or official data collection have been conducted by the government to understand the actual condition of the Ezhava-Thiyya communities.

“The limitations faced by students in professional course admissions and the struggles of small traders and entrepreneurs need to be studied seriously,” he said.

Vellappally added that commissions have been appointed in Kerala to study the issues of various communities and welfare schemes were later introduced based on their reports.

“The government should adopt the same approach towards the Ezhava-Thiyya communities. A society that helped lead Kerala forward through social reform movements is now facing concerns in several areas. The government should not ignore this situation. It is the responsibility of the state government to conduct a scientific study and take policy decisions to secure their future,” he said.

SNDP Yogam Vice President Thushar Vellappally presided over the programme. Yogam Devaswom Secretary Arayakkandi Santhosh delivered the keynote address. Around 700 people, including SNDP council members, board members, and union office-bearers, attended the event.

SNDP units should focus on action plans: Thushar
SNDP Yogam Vice President Thushar Vellappally said that the organisation’s units should introduce educational and economic programmes for the progress of the community.

“Organisational activities should not be limited to ceremonies and traditional programmes. They should move towards action plans that improve the living standards of people,” Thushar said.

He said the future growth of the organisation depends on making its units self-reliant.

“Each unit should adopt new ideas and modern development projects by accepting changing times. The strength of the organisation should be measured by its ability to create economic and educational progress,” he said.

Thushar also suggested starting educational institutions, skill development centres, job training programmes, and entrepreneurship development initiatives. He urged SNDP units in the Malabar region to take a more active and long-term approach in these areas.