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5. Petitioners further allege that "Kuravan" is a generic term and "Vettuvan" is an endogmous sub-group of "Kuravan" community. In the year 1969, the first petitioner was issued with Ext. P3 certificate from the Tahsildar as "Vettuvan". In 1978, there was a bogus complaint against the first petitioner and the Vigilance Wing of the Kerala Pubic Service Commission conducted an enquiry regarding the caste status of the first petitioner and-the above complaint was found to be baseless. In 1979 another enquiry was conducted under the supervision of the Director of Vigilance Investigation. Petitioners allege that on such enquiry also the complaint was found to be baseless. On 27-9-1991, the first petitioner received notice from the Director of Kerala Institute for Research, Training and Development Studies of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes ('KIRTADS' for short), which is an authority appointed by the Government of Kerala to conduct investigation regarding the caste status of persons whose identity of caste is disputed, directing him to participate in an enquiry regarding his caste status. Petitioner was not served with a copy of the complaint. According to the petitioners. KIRTADS submitted a report without conducting any enquiry. Pursuant to that report, the 2nd respondent, the Secretary to Government, SC/ST Development Department, passed Ext. P5 Order. Ext. P5 relates to irregular admission of the 2nd petitioner in the Regional Engineering College, Calicut. In Ext. P5 it was held that 2nd petitioner obtained admission in the Engineering College on the ground that he was a member of the Scheduled Caste and that the enquiry by the KIRTADS showed that he was not a member of the Scheduled Caste and hence his admission was cancelled. Petitioners alleged that this order was passed by Sri. M.G.K. Moorthy, the then Secretary and Commissioner, SC/ST Development Department. Petitioners also allege that the report of the KIRTADS was not given to the petitioners for more than one year.

10. The main contention of the petitioner is that he belongs to "Kuravan" community and it is also known as "Vettuvan" and according to him many of his relations are even now being treated as members of the "Kuravan" community and the petitioner relying on certain literature and documents contended that the ancestors of the petitioner belong to "Manchi Kuravan" and it is a sub group of "Kuravan" and that Kuravan is a generic term and "Vettuvar" and "Veduvar" are sub-group or synonym of "Kuravan" and in that way the petitioner is a member of the Scheduled Caste. Reference was also made to certain old literature that the people of Nanchinadu area, which formed part of the erstwhile Travancore State and these Kuravans migrated to various parts of Kerala and that they were also known as "Vettuvan" and the petitioner's father while admitting the petitioner in the school gave his caste name as "Veduva Pillai" and this does not affect the caste identity of the petitioner. In short, the contention of the petitioner is that even though in the school records his caste name is recorded as "Veduvar Pillai" it is to be treated us "Vettuvan" or "Kuravan". The scrutiny committee came to the finding that the petitioner is a member of the "Veduvar Paillai" and he is not a member of either "Veltuvan" community or "Kuravan" community.

11. "Vettuvan" is Sl. No. 68 in the Constituion (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 as amended subsequently by Act 63 of 1956. The traditional occupation of "Vettuvan" caste is tree climbing for plucking coconuts. This caste Is spread over mostly in the former Cochin State. "Kurvan" caste is spread over in the places in erstwhile Travancore State. The members of this community generally work as collies and do agricultural works. "Kuravan" is also known as "Sidhanar". It is difficult to assume that "Kuravan" and "Vettuvun" could be one and the same caste. They are different castes and shown differently in the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order.

"I am fully convinced that I belong to Scheduled Caste 'Kuravan' community. I arrived at the conclusion on the basis of records and other valuable evidence collected from various sources related to my ancestors and close relatives. I have submitted the necessary documents and certificates to substantiate my claim as Scheduled Caste 'Kuravan'. Hence I humbly request that I may be authenticated as a person belonging to Scheduled Caste 'Kuravan' community."

Whereas, all the documents relating to his near relatives succinctly prove that they are members of 'Veduvar' community. It is true that some of his distant relatives, who are settled in Trichur, were able to obtain certificate to the effect that they are members of the 'Kuravan' community and that is a matter to be looked into by the authorities as to how they could obtain such certificates. Petitioner's near relatives are shown as members of the 'Veduvar' community. Some of the members, of the petitioner's relatives have obtained certificates to the effect that they are members of the 'Malai Veduvan' community to claim the benefit of Scheduled Tribes. Going by the caste identity of the petitioner's parents it can never be held that the petitioner belongs to Scheduled Caste community.