Surveys
The government Census conducted so far and the population data of the Puthirai Vannars, it contains, is full of flaws. A mere look at the Puthirai Vannar Population as given by the Government of India Census 2001, will vouch for it. Hence the TLM together with its long-time collaborator, the IDEAS Madurai, undertook the Population Census and Livelihood Survey from 2010, in the districts of Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai, and Cuddalore. Fr.Aloysius Irudayam SJ, a research scholar of repute, headed this Survey. Findings of the Survey are to be released soon. A team of researchers, coordinators and field investigators, numbering 45 in all, were involved in this challenging exercise.
POPULATION OF PUTHIRAI VANNARS ACCORDING TO GOVT. OF INDIA CENSUS 2001: 24,588 (Twenty Four Thousand Five Eighty Eight)
POPULATION OF PUTHIRAI VANNARS according to the POPULATION CENSUS & LIVELIHOOD SURVEY 2010:
DISTRICTS | NUMBER OF FAMILIES | POPULATION | MALES
WITH PERCENTAGE |
FEMALES WITH PERCENTAGE |
CUDDALORE | 1714 | 6642 | 3398 (51.15%) | 3244 (48.84%) |
TIRUVANNAMALAI | 2449 | 9492 | 4826 (50.84%) | 4666 (49.15%) |
VILLUPURAM | 3252 | 13304 | 6663 (50.08%) | 6641 (49.91%) |
TOTAL | 7415 | 29438 | 14887 (50.57%) | 14551(49.42%) |
The 2001 Tamil Nadu Census of SCs and in particular Puthirai Vannars, is given below. This is to show the confusion and flaw in the Census with regard to the PVs. Only a sample of the Southern and Northern districts’ Puthirai Vannar population data are given below, for comparison, since puthirai vannar certificates are given only in southern districts and in northern districts they are classified as Adi Dravida:
Southern Districts |
Northern Districts |
||
Districts | PV Population | Districts | PV Population |
Tirunelveli | 4417 | Cuddalore | 60 |
Madurai | 1962 | Tiruvannamalai | 41 |
Tuticorin | 4386 | Villupuram | 26 |
Virudhunagar | 3285 | Ariyalur | 03 |