CHENNAI: PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday charged that the parties that rule the state have been using Vanniyar community, the single largest community in Tamil Nadu, as a mere vote bank during the elections.
The Vanniyars have been deprived of education and employment opportunities, and living in hutments and working as daily wage labourers, he alleged.
Speaking at the Chithirai Muzhu Nilavu Naal Peruvizha, organised by the Vanniyar Sangam, Anbumani said other communities also use the Vanniyars only to resolve their problems, and once their problems are solved, the Vanniyars are forgotten.
Anbumani said that during the first two years after coming to power, Chief Minister M K Stalin promised that he would provide reservations for the Vanniyar community. “Once, the CM promised us to convene a special session to provide reservations for Vanniyars. But suddenly he changed his mind and went back on his word. It is a huge betrayal to Vanniyars,” he added.
“You need only our votes. Fourteen of the 15 constituencies won by the DMK in the 1957 elections were dominated by Vanniyars. Similarly, in 1962, the DMK won in 50 constituencies, and of them, 45 were dominated by Vanniyars. In 1967, the DMK won 138 seats, and of them 92 constituencies were dominated by Vanniyars. Even in the present Assembly, the Vanniyar community gave 23 MLAs. But you don’t have the intent to give them education and jobs,” Anbumani said.
The PMK president also accused the CM of lying inside the Assembly and outside of it for “saying that the state government did not have the power” to conduct the caste survey. “While many other states have powers, how come Tamil Nadu alone does not have that power? The Sattanathan Commission, appointed by the then CM M Karunanidhi, gave recommendations, and later the Ambasankar Commission conducted door-to-door enumeration. How come, now the state has become powerless to do the same?” he questioned.
Later the Janardhanam Commission gave three recommendations to the government, he said. The government headed by Kalaignar (M Karunanidhi) accepted the recommendations for internal reservation for Arunthathiyar and Muslims, but threw the recommendation for 13.1% reservation to the Vanniyar community alone in the dustbin, he added.
PMK founder S Ramadoss gave stern warning to party office-bearers whose performance is not up to the mark. He said their performance is being assessed, and those who fail to work for the party, even if they are MLAs, would be thrown out of their positions.
The conference adopted 14 resolutions, most of them related to reservation. A resolution demanded that the state conduct a caste survey, apart from the caste census to be conducted by the union government. Explaining the reason, the resolution said the data obtained from just a caste census will be insufficient to protect TN’s 69% quota or to provide internal reservation for the MBCs. The resolution also said that as the new case filed against the 69% quota might come up for hearing at any time, to protect this, a separate caste survey by the state is necessary.
The Chithirai Muzhu Nilavu Conference of the Vanniyar Sangam took place after a gap of 12 years. In 2013, violence erupted between Vanniyar youth and Dailts in Marakkanam when they were going to attend the conference. PMK leaders, including its founder S Ramadoss, were arrested at that time.
When all roads led to Thiruvidanthai
Chennai: The Vanniyar Sangam conference had thousands of participants travelling to the venue from various districts, increasing traffic on the road to Chengalpattu. According to sources, police had stopped the movement of vehicles 2 km from the entrance of the venue to avoid congestion. People coming in their own vehicles had to park them at the designated places and walk to the venue.
A traffic police officer from the Tambaram Commissionerate said there was slow movement of vehicles along the Vandalur-Guduvanchery stretch around 2 pm, and it lasted for more than an hour. While there were no major untoward incidents, some of the PMK supporters were seen travelling on top of vans and cars.
In a video clip circulating on social media, a group of men was seen standing on the roof of a van and waving party flags.Inside the venue, a supporter was seen climbing up a scaffolding behind an LED screen and waving a flag.
Won’t be in any tie-up that has PMK: Thiruma
TIRUCHY: VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan on Sunday said his party will not be part of an alliance that accommodates PMK. Talking to reporters at the Tiruchy airport, Thirumavalavan said, “We are firm there will be no alliance with the PMK or with party that aligns with it.”