Pastoral community hails DMK manifesto

Madurai: Tamil Nadu Federation for Pastoral People's Sangam (TFPPS) has welcomed inclusion of pastoral community in the DMK election manifesto, saying it gave them hope of getting more benefits in the future.TFPPS president Rajiv Gandhi said it was for the first time the term ‘pastoral community' figured in an election manifesto, thanks to sustained efforts from the community and TFPPS. The DMK manifesto includes a promise on forest rights for traditional pastoral community people. TFPPS had consistently emphasised this in talks with Kanimozhi Karunanidhi and the manifesto committee."The pastoral community is a part of the cultural and traditional heritage of the people of the state. They follow safe and natural grazing methods and traditional routes passed down generation after generation," he said. TFPPS has requested formation of a pastoral economic developmental board and benefits to migratory pastoralists that will greatly benefit the community's growth, he added.