CHENNAI: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday said Chief Minister Vijay had assured him that all communities would be given representation based on the principles of social justice, while reiterating the need for a caste-based survey in Tamil Nadu to protect the State's 69% reservation policy.
Speaking at an all-party and community leaders' consultation meeting organised by the PMK in T. Nagar, Anbumani said the reservation framework in Tamil Nadu continues to rely on data from the 1931 caste census and that such outdated figures may not withstand judicial scrutiny.
The meeting was attended by representatives of AIADMK, TVK, BJP, Congress, DMDK, Naam Tamilar Katchi, Tamilaga Vazhvurimai Katchi and AMMK, among others. PMK leader GK Mani and party president K. Balu said the DMK, VCK and CPI had conveyed their support for the meeting and its resolutions despite being unable to attend.
Recalling Tamil Nadu's history as a pioneer of social justice, Anbumani said reservation in the State had gradually increased over the decades before being raised to 69% in 1990. He noted that the reservation law was subsequently placed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution in 1994 to provide legal protection.
However, he pointed out that the Supreme Court had sought empirical data to justify reservation beyond the 50% ceiling and warned that the issue remains under judicial consideration.
"To protect the 69% reservation policy, the State must conduct a caste survey and place updated data before the courts. Data collected 95 years ago cannot be the basis for present day policy decisions," he said.
Citing examples from Bihar and Karnataka, Anbumani said caste surveys had helped governments identify socio economic disparities and frame welfare measures for disadvantaged communities. He added that a similar exercise in Tamil Nadu would enable the government to understand the educational, economic and social conditions of various groups and design targeted development programmes.
The PMK leader also revealed that he had discussed the issue with Chief Minister Vijay during a recent meeting. According to him, the Chief Minister reiterated that the TVK government's commitment to social justice and equitable representation for all communities had been clearly outlined in its election manifesto.
"Only through a caste based survey can we know the actual status of all communities and ensure that welfare measures reach those who need them the most," Anbumani said.
He maintained that caste enumeration was not a community specific demand but for strengthening social justice and promoting inclusive growth across Tamil Nadu.