Members of the Vishwakarma community held a protest in Coimbatore, condemning Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's statement that Vishwakarma is neither a caste nor a traditional occupation.
Coimbatore: Members of the Tamil Nadu Five Trades Vishwakarma Community Associations Federation staged a protest near the South Taluk Office in Coimbatore, condemning Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's recent statement about the Vishwakarma community.
The protest was triggered by Sitharaman's remarks during a press conference in Coimbatore, where she reportedly stated that "Vishwakarma is neither a caste nor a traditional occupation." Hundreds of protesters from the Vishwakarma community participated in the demonstration, raising slogans against the Finance Minister.
During the protest, nine resolutions were passed, including demands for the Finance Minister to retract her statement, withdrawal of the "Barber Vishwakarma" postal stamp issued by the central government, and declaration of the Vishwakarma community as a national community by the Indian government.
Speaking to reporters, Pandiyan, founder and president of the Tamil Nadu Vishwakarma Peravai, stated that the Finance Minister's comment was highly inappropriate and should be withdrawn immediately. He warned that if the statement is not retracted, various protests would continue, and they might even boycott the upcoming elections.
Pandiyan questioned the fairness of including 18 professions under the central government's PM Vishwakarma scheme, arguing that only five trades - carpentry, goldsmithing, blacksmithing, vessel making, and sculpting - should be considered as Vishwakarma occupations.
He demanded that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should apologize and retract her statement immediately, failing which legal action would be initiated against her.
The protest highlighted the sensitivity surrounding caste and occupation-based identities in India, and the potential political ramifications of such statements made by high-ranking government officials.