New Delhi, March 16 Representatives of denotified, nomadic, and semi-nomadic tribes announced the formation of a national federation on Monday, and demanded a separate column for these communities in the 2027 Census, according to an official statement.
Community representatives also stated that if the government does not include a separate column for these communities in the 2027 Census, a nationwide democratic movement will be launched.
According to the statement, delegates from 22 states attended the council meeting on March 14-15 here, where organizations working among these communities decided to create a unified national platform named the 'Denotified and Nomadic Tribes Federation of India'.
Community leaders said the federation would bring together grassroots organizations and networks working among different communities and raise issues related to their identity, rights, and socio-economic conditions at the national level.
Representatives said that a separate enumeration of these communities is essential for effective policy-making.
"We are not asking for charity. Our only demand is that we be counted properly. Unless our identity is recognized in the census, our problems will never become part of policy-making," said S P Singh Labana, one of the representatives present at the briefing.
Leaders also demanded a 10 per cent reservation in government employment and political representation, land rights and permanent housing for nomadic families, constitutional protection in cases of atrocities, and a dedicated budget for the development of denotified and nomadic communities.
