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Raja's descendants demand MBC status

Special Correspondent

Bondil Association makes representation to Minister One lakh people of the community have settled in various parts of the State, such as Kallakurichi, Sankarapuram, Tindivanam, Chinna Salem and Maiyanur

VILLUPURAM: The descendants of Raja Desing of Ginjee have appealed to the State Government to accord them Most Backward Class status so as to improve their education chances and employment opportunity.

Bondil Association, a forum of the descendants, gave a representation to Education Minister C.Ve.Shanmugham at the valedictory of the two-day Ginjee Raja Desing Fete— 2005 held at Ginjee near here on Sunday.

Vice-President of the Association B.Jayachandra Sing told The Hindu that his community was at present treated as Backward Class. The names of their wards carried the suffixes "Rajput" and "Rajpuri."

About one lakh people of the community were settled in various parts of the State, such as Kallakurichi, Sankarapuram, Tindivanam, Chinna Salem and Maiyanur.

A majority of them were engaged as daily wage earners, and therefore, were leading a difficult living. Hardly 10 per cent of the community was educated.

Basically, they were Rajputs who had come from Bondilkhand in Uttarpradesh in the early 17th Century when Raja Desing's father Soroop Sing was installed as the ruler of Ginjee by one of the lieutenants of Aurangzeb.

Referring to the delay in the construction of a memorial and installation of a statue of Raja Desing at Ginjee, Mr Jayachandra Sing said the site allotted for the memorial happened to be an erstwhile tank.

Raja Desing stated to have died at Kadaladi near Ginjee in a war with Arcot Nawab. Two versions are in vogue about his death: one is, he committed suicide by throwing up a sword in the air that landed straight in his chest, another is, he was shot dead.

Since, water sources were being avidly protected, a suitable alternative site would have to be identified.

As for the statue, the drawing would have to be in conformity with the historical descriptions of Raja Desing. The drafting was said to be under process.

Mr Jayachandra Sing said his association was featuring Raja Desing's figure in its flag.

He said the Bondils were happy that the Villupuram Collector Ka.Balachandran had given an assurance that the memorial and statue would soon become a reality.

He further said his community people were overwhelmed by the official function and the response of the general public to it.

They were also thankful to the Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for her considerate action of organising the fete after a gap of a decade.

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