CHENNAI: The TVK government on Saturday said it would revise the Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes Welfare Department’s policy note after drawing criticism for dropping references to Thanthai Periyar E V Ramasamy, B R Ambedkar, and several other leaders associated with the evolution of reservation and social justice policies. The controversy assumes significance as the TVK has claimed Periyar and Ambedkar to be among its five ideological leaders.
BC and MBC Welfare Minister V Sampathkumar took “moral responsibility” for the omission and said a revised policy note would be issued.
“Periyar and Ambedkar are our guiding figures. We will not forget the sacrifices made by those leaders,” he said.
The 2025-26 policy note, issued under the DMK government, had references to Periyar’s agitation following the legal challenge to the Communal G.O and the subsequent First Constitutional Amendment that enabled special provisions for socially and educationally backward classes. It also credited Nehru and Ambedkar. It referred to V P Singh’s implementation of the 27% reservation for the OBCs in central government employment and Karunanidhi’s role in the 2006 central legislation providing OBC reservation in educational institutions. Also absent from the latest policy note are several positions taken by the previous government, including opposition to the creamy-layer principle and the demand that states be allowed to determine reservation levels.
The shorter historical account is, however, not without precedent, since the AIADMK government’s 2020-21 policy note focused on the legal framework and evolution of the 69% reservation regime without credits to individual political leaders. Likewise, the policy notes under the DMK did not mention the contribution of AIADMK leaders. MGR’s government increased the BC quota from 31% to 50% in 1980, taking overall reservation to 68%. The DMK then created a separate 20% quota for MBCs and DNCs, while a 1% ST quota took the total to 69%. The Jayalalithaa-led government enacted the 1994 law protecting the 69% quota.
DMK legal wing joint secretary E Paranthaman accused the TVK of trying to erase the contribution of leaders who shaped TN’s reservation policy. VCK general secretary Sinthanai Selvan sought action against the officials responsible.