Anbumani appeals for 6% Vanniyar sub-quota in Andhra, writes to CM Chandrababu Naidu

CHENNAI: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss has urged Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to provide a 6 per cent sub quota for the Vanniyar community in the state.

In a letter to Chandrababu Naidu, Anbumani said that among the communities with substantial population in Andhra Pradesh, the Vanniya Kula Kshatriyas and Agnikula Kshatriyas are notable. Within these two broader communities, there are 15 sub-sects.

He added that in terms of education and employment, the Vanniyar community and its sub-sects remain severely backward. The primary reason for this, he claimed, is their inability to compete with other communities placed alongside them in the existing reservation categories.

"Your government has always shown great concern to ensure that the benefits of reservation reach all deserving communities. That is why the 29% reservation for the Backward Classes in Andhra Pradesh has been judiciously divided into five categories—A, B, C, D, and E—providing 7%, 10%, 1%, 7%, and 4% reservations to various sections. This arrangement is, by and large, reasonable," he said.

However, within those categories, disparities remain, Anbumani said. All Vanniyar sub-sects, including the 15 sub-groups, have been placed under the first Backward Class reservation category, BC-A, comprising 54 castes, sharing just 7% reservation. Many of these castes are far more socially and educationally advanced than the Vanniyars, he claimed.

He pointed out that the present reservation structure in Andhra Pradesh was framed years ago, before the bifurcation of the State and the creation of Telangana. "Post-bifurcation, the population of Vanniyars has increased significantly within Andhra Pradesh, as the regions with concentrated Vanniyar population are more in the State. Therefore, revising the reservation quantum proportionate to their present demographic share is quite appropriate and justified," he said.