CM Stalin 'burying social justice' by refusing to conduct caste survey in TN Anbumani

    Chennai, Dec 17 (PTI) PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday accused Chief Minister M K Stalin of "digging a pit and burying social justice" in Tamil Nadu by refusing to conduct a caste-wise survey despite having full legal powers to do so.
    Stating that the PMK had been pressing for a caste-wise exercise for 36 years, he alleged that Stalin was spreading "three continuous lies" on the issue.
    "The first lie is that only the Central government must conduct it. The second one is that even if it is conducted, the courts will block it. The final one is that there is no law for this, that we have no authority in any way," he said, addressing a rally here demanding a caste-based survey in the state.
    "Tamil Nadu is the birthplace of social justice. In Tamil Nadu today, the DMK government is digging a pit and burying social justice," Anbumani alleged.
    He clarified that his party was not asking for a census but a survey.
    "What we are asking for is not a census. It is not a caste census. The Central government must conduct the caste census. What we are asking for is a caste survey. The state government can conduct this. The courts have confirmed this," he claimed.
    He cited recent orders of the Karnataka High Court to insist that "not only the central government, but the state governments can also conduct a caste-wise survey."
    Arguing that updated caste data was vital to protect Tamil Nadu’s 69 per cent reservation and to correct internal imbalances, Anbumani said: "This caste-wise census is not a caste issue. It is a social justice issue. Reservation is only one part. Social welfare schemes, affirmative action, all this is needed."
    Pointing to intra-quota inequities, he noted that among 76 Scheduled Caste sub-groups, "only six to eight get almost 90 per cent" of the benefits, while "the remaining 68 do not get their due", and similar patterns prevailed in ST, BC and MBC categories.
    Citing examples from other states, the PMK leader said Bihar’s caste survey had identified 94 lakh families with a monthly income below Rs 6,000 and 67 lakh families without houses, enabling targeted schemes.
    "This is real development. This is the plan that is needed," he said, adding that Karnataka and Telangana had also completed such surveys within about a month using lakhs of government staff.
    "In Tamil Nadu, there are two crore houses… If 75 questions are asked in Tamil Nadu, for the next 50 years using these questions, the state can progress rapidly, make all communities progress," he said.
    Slamming the ruling party for allegedly tracking voters by caste while resisting a formal survey, he remarked: "During election time, in everyone’s house… this caste, this party, this vote, so many votes, this and that account, don’t you keep (data on) them personally? For these children’s education, for these children’s jobs… why can’t a survey be conducted?"
    He warned that "history will not forgive' the CM for refusing an exercise that, he said, could be completed in "one month" with an allocation of about Rs 500 crore.
    Leaders from several parties and organisations, including BJP state vice president Karu Nagarajan, AMMK deputy general secretary G Senthamizhan and Naam Tamilar Katchi state coordinator Kalanjiyam, shared the dais and extended support to the demand.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)