Stalin should announce caste census in Tamil Nadu: Anbumani

CHENNAI: Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss on Monday appealed to the Tamil Nadu government to conduct the caste-based census in the State, similar to the lines conducted in Bihar.

Ramadoss, while speaking to ANI, said that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin should announce to conduct the survey in the session of the Assembly.

"PMK has been fighting for a caste-based census for the last 40 years. When we were a part of the UPA govt in 2004 and 2009, we put a lot of pressure on the then Home Minister to bring out caste-based enumeration in the census. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. Today, Bihar has done caste-based census and this should be followed by all states. Tamil Nadu government should do it and CM should announce it in this session of the Assembly. Actually, the Government of India should conduct a caste-based census," the PMK President said.

With the parties of the INDIA bloc welcoming the report on caste in Bihar, the chorus for nationwide caste-based data has grown.

The findings from Bihar, one of the country's politically significant states, have the potential to upend the country's politics, with demands being made for a similar nationwide census.

According to the data released on October 2, Scheduled Castes make up 19.65 per cent and the Scheduled Tribes 1.68 per cent of the population of the State.

The data also said that the Hindus comprise 81.99 per cent of the population, Muslims 17.7 per cent, Christians 0.05 per cent, Sikhs 0.01 per cent, Buddhists 0.08 per cent and other religions 0.12 per cent.

The data said that Yadavs, the OBC group to which Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav belongs, is the largest and accounts for 14.27 per cent of the State's population.

Kushwaha and Kurmi's communities form 4.27 per cent and 2.87 per cent of the population, the caste survey said.

Bhumihars constitute 2.86 per cent of the population, Brahmins 3.66 per cent, Kurmis 2.87 per cent, and Musahars 3 per cent.

The numbers stand in contrast to the quantum of reservations, which is 27 per cent that the OBC population gets in government jobs and admissions to educational institutions.

Notably, the total population of Bihar is more than 13 crore.