Ahmedabad: Over 700-800 families of Thori community in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat, whose traditional occupation is making Bamboo items, are yet to get the Scheduled Caste status, a community member claimed here.
"We still do not have any status. Every time we make a representation to the authorities they just tell us one thing, repeatedly: `please provide us documents`," said Manu Thori, of Thori Samaj Yuvak Mandal.
Thori narrated the community`s plight before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) delegation, headed by Chairperson Justice KG Balakrishnan, during an open hearing session for the NGOs here.
"We have been awarded a certificate by a concerned state agency that we don`t fall under other backward class (OBC) category," Thori claimed, adding that the community figured at 27th number in Government of India`s gazette notification on Scheduled Castes.
"Around 3,642 Thori community members from 700-800 families across Sabarkantha district are yet to get caste certificates.
"In 2004, Gujarat government had placed us amongst the very backward class category vide a gazette notification, but despite that we have not been awarded the caste certificates yet," he claimed.
NHRC member Justice BC Patel assured that a solution would be found. "We think this problem can be sorted out in a short time," Patel said.
PTI
