Inter-caste couple caught unawares of govt benefits

COIMBATORE: Thirty-six year old M Ilavenil is still hopeful that he or his wife Santhi (30) may get a government job reserved, for those who marry outside their castes, before the cut-off age of 40. A resident of PN Pudur near Vadavalli in Coimbatore, Ilavenil is a graduate presently working with a building contractor. He has been married to Santhi, who belongs to Muthaliar community, since 2007.Santhi is a computer professional. Soon after their marriage, Ilavenil registered their names with the local employment exchange submitting all the certificates. The family with two children is still waiting for the promised job for any one of the family member.
As per a government order issued in 1986, inter-caste married couples (where one of the spouses belongs to SC/ST) are entitled to government jobs. The rule says that the inter-caste couples should register their names in the employment exchange within two years along with the community certificate issued by an officer not below the rank of tahsildar and a registered marriage in the office of the sub-registrar of marriages. However, "the government is doing nothing," says K Ramakrishnan, general secretary of Thanthai Periyar Dravida Kazhgam adding that it is amusing to expect those who marry amidst social and communal pressures, gaining knowledge on their own about the benefits.
"The amount is insufficient to run a family. We had to submit a number of documents including marriage registration, caste certificate and residential proof to get the amount. The government must increase the amount or make the process more liberal,'' says Santhi.
Natham Colony in Dharmapuri, which made headlines following the death of Elavarasan, a dalit whose marriage to a vanniyar girl led to anti-dalit violence in the region, has at least ten such families where a dalit is married to a vanniyar. However, none of them are aware about the benefits provided by the government. Gowri who is married to Ravi; Yashoda who is married to Sinnathambi and Sumathi who is married to Armugam say they have never received any financial assistance from the government and no government job came their way.
In Coimbatore, district social welfare officer Sherine Philip says the department gives financial assistance to those, who apply with all relevant documents. However, activists who promote inter-caste marriages say most married couples remain unaware of the benefits meant for them. "I have arranged at least 1000 inter-caste marriages in the last 15 years in Coimbatore and 126 of them happened in the last six months. Only because of our vigil, they are getting the financial assistance,'' adds Ramakrishnan. According to him, most inter-caste marriages happen outside the purview of such organizations.
Under the financial aid scheme, the state government is meant to give Rs15,000 cash for the inter-caste couple when one of them is a dalit and Rs10,000 as deposit in the post office. If the couples have completed graduation, the state government will give Rs30,000 cash and Rs 20,000 would be deposited. For forward caste people marrying backward caste, a sum of Rs10,000 will be given and a deposit of Rs5,000 would be made in a post office.
"We did not go for the marriage expecting benefits from the government. Now that we are aware of the benefits, it is the duty of the government to help us establish the family and make it financially stable,'' says N Arjun of Chennimalai near Erode, who has submitted the application for financial assistance recently.
"Social welfare department has nothing to do with jobs. Only employment exchanges can do anything about it. We are processing applications and extending the sanctioned financial help as early as possible,'' says Sherine Philip.