CHENNAI: Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday said that the BJP-led union government’s announcement about conducting a caste census has vindicated the firm stand of DMK that only the union government could hold a legally valid caste enumeration.
“Our stand is now vindicated. Another triumph for DMK and the INDIA bloc in our arduous social justice journey, driven by the ideals of the Dravidian model,” the CM said in a statement here.
Describing the union government’s announcement as a hard-earned victory for the Tamil Nadu government and DMK, the CM recalled, “We were the first to adopt a resolution in the legislative assembly demanding a caste census. We championed this cause in every forum. We reiterated this demand in every meeting with the prime minister and through multiple letters, consistently urging the union government to take responsibility.”
The CM charged that the BJP-led union government, after failing in all its attempts to deny and delay the much-needed caste enumeration, has finally announced that it will be conducted along with the forthcoming census.
Stalin said that despite this announcement, key questions such as when the census will begin and when it will conclude remain unanswered. “The timing is no coincidence. With social justice dominating the Bihar elections narrative, this sudden move reeks of political expediency. The same prime minister who once accused opposition parties of dividing people based on caste has now yielded to the very demand he maligned repeatedly,” Stalin added.
Making a veiled attack on the PMK which has been insisting that the DMK government conduct state-level caste surveys, Stalin, without naming that party, said: “We stood firm that the census is a union subject. Only the union government can and should deliver a legally binding caste enumeration under the Census Act”.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran, PMK founder S Ramadoss and the party’s president Anbumani Ramadoss, and AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran were among those who welcomed the union government’s announcement.
Palaniswami said the announcement fulfilled one of the long-standing demands of the people of Tamil Nadu. He said all necessary steps were taken to conduct a caste census in the state during the previous AIADMK regime, but after the regime change, the DMK government abandoned the initiative.
“I sincerely welcome the central government’s decision to conduct a caste census after nearly 93 years. My congratulations and best wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing the conduct of the caste census,” Palaniswami added.
In 2001, the PMK founder said the then Union Home Minister LK Advani agreed for a caste census but it could not be possible due to the earthquake in Gujarat. Recalling the consistent efforts of PMK for caste census, he said the state government should also conduct a caste survey.
Anbumani Ramadoss said the Vanniyar Sangam and PMK have been raising this demand for about five decades.”Tamil Nadu cannot shirk its responsibility to conduct a caste survey just because the central government announced it. The Tamil Nadu government should conduct the caste survey ahead of the central census since for giving internal reservations, more details at the state level are important.
Nagenthran said the PM has thwarted attempts to create confusion in the country in the name of caste census.
When will it begin?
Stalin said that despite this announcement, key questions such as when the census will begin and when it will conclude remain unanswered. “The timing is no coincidence. With social justice dominating the Bihar elections narrative, this sudden move reeks of political expediency.”