Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss on Thursday said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and his ruling DMK party do not have the heart to conduct a caste-based survey in Tamil Nadu.
In a conference, he told reporters that under the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008, both the Centre and the State were empowered to conduct the survey. “Under the Act, even a village panchayat head can conduct the survey within the area. If that was the case then why is the Chief Minister reluctant even to announce such a survey,” he asked.
Many political leaders in the State including Naam Tamilar Katchi co-ordinator Seeman and AMMK general secretary, T.T.V. Dhinakaran have voiced in favour of the survey. “The reservation now given is based on the survey taken in 1931 by the British. Nearly 100 years later, a caste survey is required not for mere headcount but to assess the actual status of each community in Tamil Nadu,” he said.
Referring to the day-long conference on caste-based survey in Vellore, he said that such conferences were held in big cities like Coimbatore, Madurai and Chidabaram earlier to highlight the need to conduct the survey.
