PMK to take up Vanniyar quota issue in alliance talks with AIADMK

Chennai

“PMK will not compromise on the issue of reservation for Vanniyar community and the party is firm on its stand that it will ally with AIADMK only if the ruling AIADMK government makes announcement on exclusive 20 per cent reservation for Vanniyar community. However, the announcement on alliance would be made officially only by our party leader S Ramadoss,” said a PMK functionary, on request of anonymity.

Repeating the 1987 protest, PMK staged road and rail roko demanding 20 per cent exclusive reservation for Vanniyars. To silence the protests, AIADMK had immediately formed a commission to undertake caste census and granted six-month time for finishing the caste census.

PMK which was unhappy at the developments, condemned the state government claiming that they did not want a commission for caste census rather they need reservation for Vanniyars. In the special General Body (GB) meeting of the party, held on Thursday, Ramadoss had once again stressed upon the 20 per cent exclusive reservation for Vanniyar community.

“Following the protests in 1987 and loss of 21 lives, state government formed MBC category and 108 castes were added in the category for 20 per cent reservation. However, the representation of Vanniyar community had not grown at the national level in the past 30 years and the community is still remaining backward for which 20 per cent exclusive reservation is a must,” said Ramadoss, in the GB meeting.

Ramadoss also said that among the Most Backward Communities, Vanniyars constitute more than 75 per cent of the population but their representation is between 7 to 8 per cent. If Vanniyar community continues to be under represented social justice will not prevail in the state, said Ramadoss.