Gowari students not getting caste validity certificates

Nagpur, Oct 14

The Gowari community got certificate of Scheduled Tribes after 24 year long fight. But the community had to pay heavy price of 114 lives for this. The students of Gowari community had started marching towards glorious future as caste certificates were received. But this journey stopped after some distance. The hurdle of red tapism has come in this way. The future of students is in dark as officials have refused to give caste validity certificates.

The Gowari community had to fight a long battle to get concessions applicable to tribals. The high court gave a historic verdict in favour of Gowari community. Despite of this, Gowaris were not getting caste validity certificate. The community had to approach high court once again. The court ordered government on January 25, 2019 to give caste validity certificates to Gowari community. Since then, the Scheduled Tribe Certificate Scrutiny Committee of Nagpur gave caste validity certificates to Gowari community.

Later, the government went to Supreme Court to get stay on verdict given in favour of Gowari community. But Supreme Court refused stay. But joint commissioner of Scheduled Tribe Certificate Scrutiny Committee of Nagpur has not given caste validity certificates to Gowari community since March. This has caused anger about officials in Gowari community.

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''Wrong motive''

The court has ordered to give Scheduled Caste validity certificates to Gowari community. The tribal department has also ordered all district collectors as per court''s directive. But officials are purposely blocking way of Gowari community. The admission exam of higher education have been completed. If students do not have caste validity certificate, their admissions will be in trouble. Due to this students who have appeared for NEET exam and their parents will seek reply from concerned officials on coming October 20, 2020.

Kailas Raut, president, Adivasi Gowari Samaj Sanghatana