Anbumani calls all parties barring DMK for Dec 17 caste survey stir; warns 69% quota at risk

CHENNAI: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss has urged all political parties and social organisations in Tamil Nadu to participate in a statewide protest in Chennai on December 17, demanding the immediate implementation of a caste-based survey.

In a letter sent to leaders of all parties, except the ruling DMK, Anbumani emphasised that a caste survey is essential to protect social justice and to ensure fair and evidence-based reservation.

He argued that reservation in Tamil Nadu—including the 69 per cent benchmark—face a longstanding legal challenge due to the State's failure to update caste-based population data, even after the Supreme Court in 2010 directed that such demographics must be collected within a year to justify the quota structure.

Anbumani pointed out that the current reservation data still relies on the 1931 census, which courts have repeatedly stated cannot be used for present-day policy-making. He stated that caste-based surveys can legally be conducted by State governments under the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008, citing similar exercises already completed in Bihar, Telangana, Karnataka, and Odisha.

He accused the DMK government of misleading the public by claiming that only the central government has the authority to conduct such enumerations. He also alleged that the DMK has repeatedly blocked three opportunities over the past decades to conduct a caste survey in Tamil Nadu.

Calling the caste survey the “X-ray of society,” Anbumani stressed that accurate data is vital for introducing sub-quotas within backward, most backward, and Scheduled Caste categories to ensure balanced benefits for all communities. He urged all parties to unite to “protect social justice” and support the PMK’s December 17 protest.