Government to move House resolution for caste census: CM M K Stain

Replying to a question raised by PMK member G K Mani in the Assembly on providing 10.5 per cent reservation for the Vanniyar community in the State, Chief Minister said that since the caste survey undertaken by the Bihar government was struck down by the high court and Supreme Court, it was important that the Union Government conducted the caste census.

Soliciting the support of Mani for the resolution when it was moved, he said that he was aware of the alliance in which his party was in now. So, the PMK could put pressure on the BJP that was in power in Delhi to conduct the caste census that could help the government provide for the 10.5 per cent reservation for the Vanniyar community., Stalin said.

Mani had said that the caste census and reservation were not connected and that the State government was empowered to conduct caste surveys within the State, which could bring out the facts regarding the status of the various castes, enabling the framing of appropriate policies to lift those communities that were found to be backward.

Terming the conduct of a caste survey as a social justice issue, he said that the State government could very much go ahead and conduct and it was not true as some people were claiming that only the Union Government could call for the caste census.

Speaking on the issue in the floor of the House, State Transport Minister S S Sivshankar recalled the previous AIADMK government, at the behest of the PMK, introducing the 10.5 per cent reservation for Vanniyars, which was struck down by the court because no supporting data was provided on the social, economic, employment and educational status of the community.

Though the State government could provide data on the employment and educational status of the community, only a caste census could shed light on the social and economic status of the community and that was why the Chief Minister had been demanding it, the Minister said.

Law Minister S Regupathy said that if the higher courts cancelled the caste survey conducted by the State government as it happened in Bihar, it would be of no use to anyone. It would have to be conducted as per the norms and only the Union Government could call for it, he said

Sivashankar told Mani that it was M Karunanidhi who first brought in the 20 per cent reservation for MBCs for the benefit of the Vanniyar community, the PMK had been campaigning against the DMK portraying the party as an enemy of the community.

The PMK, in league with the AIADMK in the previous election, pressed for the 10.5 per cent reservation that was implemented in a hurry, only to be struck down by the courts for lack of supporting data, he said, adding that the PMK subsequently dumped the AIADMK, too, and aligned with the BJP that was I principle opposed to social justice.

Mani, after making the passionate speech urging the State government to conduct the caste survey, staged a walkout from the House complaining that the government was trying to pass the buck to the Union Government.