PMK founder S. Ramadoss on Monday wrote to Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami seeking separate reservations for Vanniyar community and de-notified communities besides commissioning of a caste-wise population census.
He said that Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has agreed to conduct a census of denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes across India. Members of denotified communities live across Tamil Nadu and census should be conducted across all households to account for these communities.
“When the State does this exercise, a caste-wise census can be easily done. There won’t be any additional expenditure incurred as the Central government is funding it. The caste-wise census can be conducted through this,” said Dr. Ramadoss.
He pointed out that the Central government’s list of denotified communities, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes and the communities listed as per Tamil Nadu Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institution and of Appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Act, 1993) 3 (A) are different.
“In majority of States, the denotified communities and nomadic communities were added to the SC list while in Tamil Nadu, they have been added to the most backward classes category. There are communities which are considered as denotified communities in some regions and Backward Classes in other regions. Some members of the backward communities obtain false certificates by providing wrong information as Most Backward Classes and enjoying the benefits of reservation,” he said. “Therefore, reservations of de-notified communities, Vanniyars and most backward classes are systematically denied.”
He said that denotified communities should be provided reservations as a separate category and 20% separate reservations should be provided to Vanniyar community.
“Other MBC communities can be given reservations based on their population,” he said.