In the next Census for 2011, the term ‘Other Backward Classes’ should also be included, along with that of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, in the relevant forms, said S. Ramadoss, founder of the Pattali Makkal Katchi.
Insisting upon conducting a caste-based census, Dr. Ramadoss has said that only such a measure would ensure social justice to the aggrieved Vanniyars. He was addressing the Vazhakkarignargal Samooga Needhi Peravai -Tamil Nadu meeting here on Friday.
He questioned the propriety of a ceiling on reservation at 50 per cent and how the formula could be applied to Meghalaya where 95 per cent of the population was Scheduled Tribes.
He faulted the reservation matrix — Open category 31 per cent, BC 30 per cent, MBC 20 per cent, SC 18 per cent and ST 1 per cent — as lopsided because it did not reflect the exact demographic status.
Even the 20 per cent reservation, obtained after a great deal of effort, was not fully available to the over two-crore-strong Vanniyars. Had the Sattanathan Committee recommendations of 1971 been implemented, the community would have got its rightful share in elevated positions. Therefore, to undo the injustice committed to the community, a separate quota ought to be given to it, as in the case of the Christians, Muslims and Arundathiars.
He recalled that when Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss was the Union Health Minister, he handed over a petition with the signatures of 178 MPs, seeking caste-based census, to the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and the then Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil.
Dr. Ramadoss urged the State government to take up caste-based census immediately and if Village Administrative Officers were duly alerted the task could be accomplished in a day.
He said the caste factor could not be wished away and pointed out its sway in the northern States, and, in Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh where the power was swinging between two dominant castes.
Dr. Ramadoss said: “We have to go a long way before setting right the anomalies,” and therefore called upon all the advocates, cutting across party lines, to support the demand for reservation in higher judiciary and abolition of the ‘gram nyayalaya’ concept. K. Balu, State president of the Peravai, and S.Balaji, State deputy secretary, participated.
