PMK urges cadre to push for caste census resolutions on I-Day grama sabha meets in TN

Chennai, Aug 13 (IANS) PMK President Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has called upon party cadre and the public to ensure that resolutions demanding a caste-based population census are passed during grama sabha meetings scheduled across Tamil Nadu on Independence Day.

In a statement, Dr Anbumani said the resolutions should clearly urge the state government to conduct a comprehensive caste census.

He stressed that such an exercise is essential to ensure reservation benefits are distributed in proportion to the population and socio-economic backwardness of communities.

The move, he added, is also vital to protect social justice at a time when Tamil Nadu’s 69 per cent reservation policy is facing a legal challenge in the Supreme Court.

“Only a caste-based enumeration can provide accurate, updated data on the demographic and socio-economic conditions of various communities,” Dr Anbumani stated. “Without this, the distribution of reservation benefits will be based on outdated assumptions, which are neither fair nor sustainable,” he said.

The PMK leader said the grama sabha forums, which are constitutionally mandated to discuss local governance issues, also serve as platforms for articulating the demands of the people on broader social policies.

He urged the party’s district and panchayat-level functionaries to coordinate efforts so that the caste census resolution is tabled and passed in as many villages as possible on Independence Day.

Dr Anbumani also challenged the ruling DMK to act on the resolutions if they are passed across the state.

“If the DMK truly cares for democracy, it must respect the rights of grama sabhas and implement the decisions taken during these meetings,” he said, adding that ignoring such collective expressions of public opinion amounts to undermining democratic processes at the grassroots level.

The PMK, which has consistently campaigned for a caste-based census, views the exercise as a cornerstone for ensuring equitable reservation and policy formulation.

The party argues that accurate caste data would enable targeted welfare schemes and help in addressing disparities more effectively.

With grama sabha meetings set to coincide with the Independence Day celebrations, the PMK’s push is expected to intensify the debate over the need for a caste census in Tamil Nadu -- an issue that has been politically sensitive and socially significant for decades.

--IANS

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