Chennai, June 9 (IANS) PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss is set to meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday to press for a caste-based census in the state, a move the party says is essential to safeguard Tamil Nadu’s 69 per cent reservation policy.

The meeting follows an all-party and community leaders’ conference organised by the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) in Chennai’s T. Nagar on June 5. The conference adopted a resolution urging the state government to conduct a caste census under the provisions of the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008.

The exercise was described as a “Social Justice Census” aimed at generating updated caste-wise demographic data.

PMK leaders said Anbumani would present the resolutions adopted at the conference to the Chief Minister and seek immediate action from the government.

The party has argued that updated caste data is necessary to legally and constitutionally sustain Tamil Nadu’s reservation framework.

Tamil Nadu has one of the highest reservation quotas in the country, providing 69 per cent reservation to Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The reservation policy was protected through special legislation passed in 1993 and later placed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution through the 76th Constitutional Amendment. However, the issue has periodically resurfaced because the Supreme Court’s landmark Indra Sawhney judgment capped reservations at 50 per cent, except under extraordinary circumstances.

Supporters of a caste census contend that updated population figures would provide empirical backing for the state’s reservation structure and help defend it against future legal challenges.

The demand has gained traction in several states, with political parties increasingly calling for caste-based enumeration to guide welfare and affirmative action policies.

The initiative also comes at a crucial juncture for the PMK, which has been witnessing an internal leadership struggle between party founder Dr S. Ramadoss and his son Anbumani Ramadoss. Differences over organisational control and the party’s future political direction have led to public disagreements in recent months, exposing divisions within the Vanniyar-based party.

Political observers believe Anbumani’s renewed emphasis on reservation and social justice issues is aimed at reinforcing the PMK’s traditional support base while asserting his leadership amid the ongoing family and organisational dispute.

The outcome of his meeting with Chief Minister Vijay is expected to be closely watched, given the significance of the reservation issue in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape.

–IANS

aal/dpb