Denigration of the Nadar community in the CBSE Class 9 Social Science textbook

We wish to thank Dr. Jayalalitha for taking up the issue  of denigration of the Nadar community in the CBSE Class 9 Social Science textbook with the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and requesting him to direct the appropriate authorities to remove the defamatory remarks immediately. The Chapter entitled, "Caste, Conflict and Dress Change" in the above said book has wrongly depicted members of the Nadar community as migrants. The statement that the members of the Nadar community are migrants is not only incorrect but also mischievous. Nadars are one of the earliest settlers of South India. Their history dates back to antiquity.  Although Nadars are found all over the South, the density of their population is high in the southern districts of Tamilnadu and south eastern part of Kerala. They are also found in large numbers in Karnataka. The Nadar community is not a lower caste as mentioned in the CBSE book. There is no doubt that Nadars are descendants of those who ruled the Chera, Chola and Pandya Kingdoms. They have also been rulers of South India at one point of time. For some time they were persecuted and their belongings were looted by the Palayakarrars, especially by Kattabommulu, who   were the feudal class of territorial administrative and military governors appointed by the Nayak rulers of South India (notably Vijayanagar Empire, Madurai Nayakas and the Kakatiya dynasty) during 16th – 18th centuries). In south east Travancore also they were ill-treated and mercilessly persecuted by the Nair rulers.  In order to escape persecution they moved to down south and on the hillocks. But they, through hard work, converted large tracts of arid land into fertile cultivable land. The bleak and barren slopes of the hills were also converted into resplendent vegetations, and food crops of various kinds. They tapped palms for toddy and sweet juice and jaggery. They were the sole manufactures of   salt. They had also developed spinning and weaving as a cottage industry. But after independence, the Nadar community rose against persecution and ill-treatment through hard work. Today its members form the largest trading community in Tamil Nadu. They have established business all over Tamilnadu and various other cities in India, including Mumbai, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, etc. The literacy rate of the Nadar community is highest among the big communities of India. In News Paper and IT industry also they have laid the stamp of supremacy. The Nadar community was the earliest group to establish schools and colleges and provided free education to all irrespective of caste, religion and creed in their institutions. Moreover, they have contributed a lot during the freedom struggle and after Independence in shaping the Indian polity, especially Tamilnadu.  India is yet to find a better administrator (Chief Minister) than Perunthalaivar K.Kamaraj.