The CPI decided to espouse the cause of Malayalee tribe that has been categorised as ST after a prolonged struggle with ‘Gounder’ tag in Erode. At a meeting of Kadambur Malaivattara Kuzhu, the party questioned the rationale behind the Centre naming the community, the largest numerical group in the State, as ‘Malayalee Gounder’ in Erode district alone for the purpose of ST categorisation in its recent communication, despite the Ooty-based Tribal Research Centre and a research team of Madras University establishing the kinship of the community members living in Sathy and Antiyur blocks in Erode district with their relatives in Dharmapuri, Velur, Pudukottai, Salem, Namakkal, Cuddalore, Tiruchi, Karur and Perambalur districts down generations.
