1. Panan community is a scheduled caste, notified as such, under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act, 1976. A recognition as a member of the scheduled caste carried with it many benefits. Such benefits include those provided under the Constitution, intended for the uplift of the oppressed sections of the society.

2. Petitioners 2 and 3 claimed that they belong to the Panan community. They applied to the 3rd respondent for a certificate to that effect. They are aggrieved that the certificate sought for has not been issued; they apprehend that they may not get the certificate in view of the stand taken by the Government in its communication Ext. P2 dated 30-5-1986.

3. The 1st petitioner is the 'Panan Association', Trivandrum, represented by its Secretary N. Subramania Pillai. It seeks to espouse the common cause of the members of the Association. It had submitted a representation to the Chief Minister of the State on 18-8-1982, detailing the difficulties in obtaining community certificate. By Ext.P1, the 1st respondent was intimated about the inability of the Government to do anything on the matter till the disposal of a writ petition O.P. No. 5336 of 198