CHENNAI: PMK-affiliated Advocates Forum for Social Justice, along with various caste-based organisations, has announced a massive protest in Chennai, urging the state government to conduct a caste census.
They argue such a survey is essential to ensure equitable reservation for all communities based on their population.
A consultation meeting with various caste-based organisations was held here under the chair of PMK president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss. The meeting discussed the urgent need for a caste-based population census in Tamil Nadu to protect the state’s 69 per cent reservation policy.
With legal challenges against the reservation system pending in the Supreme Court, the absence of caste-based demographic data could pose a significant risk to the longstanding policy, according to the press statement.
The meeting strongly criticised the Tamil Nadu government for its inaction and lack of commitment to social justice, highlighting that Bihar, Telangana, and Karnataka have already conducted similar surveys. Courts, including the Supreme Court, have not imposed any restrictions on conducting a caste-based census.
The consultation noted that the Tamil Nadu government could complete the survey within two months using its existing administrative resources, without incurring substantial costs.
Further, the meeting unanimously resolved to organise a large-scale protest in Chennai, urging the state government to take immediate action.
