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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
S. Ramadoss and Anbumani Ramadoss: Father, son, and a war of words
In 2011, during the run-up to the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader S. Ramadoss visited DMK leader M. Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence to invite him for a family wedding. Karunanidhi did not miss the opportunity to rope the PMK into the DMK-led alliance, even though the PMK had contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections as part of the AIADMK alliance. The PMK had failed to win a single seat in that election, despite being considered a powerful ally capable of tilting the scales of victory for any alliance. Yet, this perception of the party being a strong ally led Karunanidhi to generously allot 30 seats to the PMK and seal the alliance. However, the PMK managed to secure only three seats, proving that its decline had actually begun as early as 2009. Dr. Ramadoss, a medical doctor by qualification, has always played his political cards carefully, switching alliances from one election to another, but failing to gauge the shifting sands of Tamil Nadu politics. In 2009, the PMK suffered defeat by aligning with the AIADMK. It was routed again in the 2011 polls. The emergence of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, led by actor Vijayakant, in 2005, also eclipsed the PMK's influence in many areas. The party has never been able to reclaim its past glory, despite having been part of the Union government from 1998 to 2009. During that time, Anbumani Ramadoss, Dr. Ramadoss's son, held the health portfolio (2004-09). Today, despite its organisational strength and the support of the Vanniyars, its core base, the party finds itself at a crossroads due to the growing rift between Dr. Ramadoss and Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss. In the 1980s, Dr. Ramadoss mobilised the Vanniyars by championing their claim for Most Backward Class status. After the DMK government led by Karunanidhi granted 20% reservation by grouping together several communities, including the Vanniyars, Ramadoss founded the PMK. In a symbolic gesture reminiscent of Piloo Mody, Dr. Ramadoss sent Panruti S. Ramachandran, the PMK's lone MLA in 1991, to the Assembly riding an elephant — the symbol on which he won. The party performed well in the 1996, 2001, and 2006 Assembly elections. The PMK entered the national stage when Dr. Ramadoss joined the AIADMK-BJP alliance in 1998 and secured a Union Cabinet berth for Dalit Ezhilmalai, the party's general secretary. He remained with the BJP even after Jayalalithaa toppled the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government. This paid off as the BJP-DMK combine made good gains in 1999. The PMK was allotted two ministerial berths in the BJP-led government. In 2004, along with the DMK, it joined the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, and Anbumani Ramadoss became a Union Minister in the Manmohan Singh government. Dr. Ramadoss, who once acted as a bridge between the Vanniyars and Dalits, also sought to shed the image of being a solely Vanniyar party by espousing Tamil identity and working closely with Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol. Thirumavalavan and Tamil nationalist leader Pazha Nedumaran. However, successive electoral defeats forced him to take refuge in caste-based politics. He even ran a campaign targeting the Scheduled Castes (SCs), accusing their youth of wearing jeans and sunglasses and luring girls from other communities for their wealth. In 2012, the tragic death of Dharmapuri Ilavarasan, an SC man, who married Divya, a Vanniyar woman, caused deep damage to the PMK's image. Since then, it has not been able to shed the 'Vanniyar party' image. The current war of words between father and son has crossed all limits and shocked observers who have followed the PMK for decades. Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss had always said that his father is his role model and has acknowledged his organisational skills. The absence of political power and influence seems to have made Dr. Ramadoss desperate and angry. He is probably making a last-ditch effort to secure a stable future for the party as the Tamil Nadu political space is too crowded. His ego does not permit even his son to interfere with his schemes. He knows well that Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, who rose swiftly within the party ranks, could overshadow him, and he is not prepared for that. Neither his family members nor outsiders, including Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologue S. Gurumurthy, can convince the unreconstructed Dr. Ramadoss.
New Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Caste Census sparks political credit war in Bihar ahead of assembly elections
PATNA: A credit war has begun between the ruling NDA and opposition parties in Bihar after the along with the general census. The announcement comes ahead of the assembly elections scheduled for October-November this year. While the main opposition party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), claimed that the Centre had conceded to its long-pending demand, the ruling JD(U) thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Centre's decision to conduct a caste census alongside the general census. In what appeared to be an attempt by the Centre to outwit the opposition Mahagathbandhan, or grand alliance, by announcing the caste census, RJD chief Lalu Prasad said in a social media post on X that the decision showed how "Sanghis" were dancing to their agenda. RJD chief Lalu Prasad said, 'When I was the national president of Janata Dal, our United Front government in Delhi had decided in 1996-97 to conduct a caste census during the 2001 general census, which was later not implemented by the Vajpayee-led NDA government.' 'We raised a strong demand in Parliament for a caste census again during the 2011 census. The first caste survey of the country was also conducted in Bihar during our 17-month-long Mahagathbandhan government. When we demanded a caste census, we were labeled casteist. There is still a lot left to be done. We will continue making these Sanghis dance to our agenda,' he added. RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said, 'Our ideological victory, our fight for social justice, has now reached the next stage. Whatever we do today, others begin to think about it 35-40 years later. Now, we will push for reservation of seats for backward and most backward classes in the Vidhan Sabha, Vidhan Parishad, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha. Many recommendations of the Mandal Commission are yet to be implemented. Long live social justice.' Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while supporting the Centre's decision on social media platform X, said, 'The central government's decision to conduct a caste census is welcome. Our demand for conducting a caste census is longstanding. It is a matter of great happiness that the Centre has agreed.' He further stated, 'Conducting a caste census will reveal the number of people belonging to different social classes, which will help in planning for their upliftment and development. This will accelerate the development of the country. Congratulations and thanks to the Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji for the decision.' Tejashwi Prasad Yadav has also been consistently attacking the BJP and its allies, particularly JD(U), for not placing amended reservation laws under the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, which would shield them from judicial scrutiny. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also repeatedly demanded a caste census from the Centre during his public meetings, describing it as an 'X-ray and MRI of society.' Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor, however, said that the announcement of a caste census along with the general census would not serve any purpose unless policies are framed based on the outcomes of the census report. 'It will be beneficial for the country only when policies are formulated on the basis of the census results,' he told the media.
