The Bihar state government has unveiled the details of the caste-wise census, marking a significant turning point in Indian politics. The Bihar Caste Wise Census Report is poised to wield a political impact akin to the release of the Mandal Commission Report. Consequently, a nationwide caste-wise census is now deemed inevitable. This initiative will result in an increase in the quota allocated to Backward Classes (BC), ultimately diminishing the dominance of those who have held sway over the country's power centers and exploited the majority of its citizens. It promises to bring benefits to the Dalits and tribals as well. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the Adi Dravidas and tribals to align themselves with the backward castes in advocating for a caste-wise census.
Rather than merely offering support, the Adi Dravida community should seize the forthcoming caste census as an opportunity to rectify the errors made during the 1931 caste census. Their future hinges on this corrective action.
Over the past 75 years since India gained Independence, some of the smaller castes, known by various names, have bolstered their numerical strength by consolidating under a single name. This consolidation has increased their influence in parliamentary politics, which hinges on numerical representation. In contrast, the Paraiyar caste is unique in India for experiencing a decline in numerical strength. At the turn of the 20th century, leaders of the Paraiyar community, such as MC Raja, Rettamalai Srinivasan, and others, implored the government of the Madras Presidency to cease referring to oppressed people as Paraiyars and Panchamars and instead recognise them as Adi Dravidas. This call was also echoed during the 1921 Census campaign. Thanks to their efforts, 50,000 individuals registered themselves as Adi Dravidas in the 1921 Census.
At the time, the Madras province primarily consisted of two large castes: the Vanniyars and the Paraiyars. In the 1921 Census, Vanniyar and Paraiyar were the only two castes with populations exceeding 20 lakh. The Vanniyar population stood at 28,10,000, while the Paraiyar population was 23,87,000. No other caste had a population exceeding 10 lakh. By the 1931 Census, the Vanniar population had risen to 29,44,000, while the Paraiyar population had dwindled to 11,17,000. This decline was due to most of them registering themselves as Adi Dravida.
MC Raja, serving as the Secretary of the Adi Dravida Mahajana Sabha since 1916, presented a resolution in the Madras Legislative Council in 1922 during the Justice Party's reign. The resolution called for the discontinuation of registering the names of Paraiyar and Panchamar in government records, advocating instead for their registration as Adi Dravida. This resolution was approved and subsequently issued as a Government Order (G.O no. 217 law [common] dated 25.03.1922) by the Justice Party government. However, during the 1931 Census of India, the Census Superintendent M.W.M. Yeatts did not adhere to this directive and only registered those who explicitly requested to be categorised as Adi Dravidas, recording the others as ‘Paraiyan’. This fact was documented in his report, which stated: "It will be observed that the terms 'Paraiyan' 'Panchama,' and others appear in the list of castes. Several census workers drew my attention to an Order of the Madras Government forbidding the use of such terms and apparently thought that they should not be accepted in census returns. I was quite aware of the Government Order but all it said was that these terms should not be used in official correspondence. Neither that Government Order nor any other could prevent a man calling himself what he liked and it was our census duty to record from each man his own description of himself and not to impart any prejudices or theories of our own." ( CENSUS OF INDIA, 1931, Volume XIV, Madras, page 333-334). Due to this approach by Census Superintendent M.W.M.Yeatts, the dual classification of Paraiyar and Adi Dravidar persists to this day.
In the 1931 Census, the population of Paraiyars was 11,17,000, while the population of Adi Dravidas was 16,19,000, totaling 27,36,000. The recorded population of Vanniyar was 29,44,000. Adi Dravidas (including Paraiyars) were only 2.08 lakh less than the Vanniyar community.
As per the 2011 Census, the SC population in Tamil Nadu was 1.44 crore. Adi Dravida, listed as one of the sub-castes of the SC population, was 72,42,000, and the Paraiyar population was 18,22,000. The combined population of these communities amounted to 90,66,000, which constituted 12.56% of Tamil Nadu's population at the time, which was 7.21 crore.
If a caste-wise census is conducted now, it will likely reveal the Vanniyar community to be the largest in Tamil Nadu. However, due to the division of the Adi Dravida community, which is nearly as populous as Vanniyars, into Paraiyar and Adi Dravida, it has suffered a weakening of its political influence despite its numerical strength. The root cause of this situation can be traced back to the failure of Census authorities to adhere to the 1922 GO issued during the Justice Party's rule. The injustice perpetrated by British authorities during colonial rule was a grievous wrongdoing. It is deeply regrettable that these injustices have endured even after India gained Independence.
The Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, who has declared that the DMK regime continues the legacy of the Justice Party, has a valuable opportunity to rectify this injustice and promote social justice. In accordance with the 1922 Government Order issued during the Justice Party's rule, the name Paraiyar should be abolished, and all individuals should be officially recognized as Adi Dravida before the next census. If any other castes in the SC list wish to identify as Adi Dravida, they should be afforded the opportunity to be included as such.
Dr D Ravikumar is a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) representing Villupuram constituency in Tamil Nadu.