PMK founder Dr. S. Ramadoss retires from politics at 88, passes baton to son Anbumani

Dr. S. Ramadoss, the 88-year-old founder of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), announced his retirement from politics on Saturday, ending a career that reshaped Tamil Nadu's reservation debate and caste politics.

Speaking at a birthday event at Saraswathi College near Tindivanam, Ramadoss said, "I am retiring from politics. From today, I will not speak about politics or interfere in political matters. Anbumani will take care of politics. His wife will also support him." He cited recurring vertigo as the reason for his decision and requested visitors to only ask about his health.

The announcement formalizes the transfer of the political movement he built over four decades to his son, PMK president Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss. This comes weeks after the father and son resolved a public leadership struggle that had split the party into rival camps.

Ramadoss's political journey began long before the PMK was founded in 1989. In 1980, he established the Vanniyar Sangam, an organization advocating for the Vanniyar community, one of Tamil Nadu's largest Most Backward Classes (MBC). The Vanniyar agitation in the 1980s demanded separate reservations in education and government employment, using tactics like blocking roads with felled government trees, which led to widespread disruption and occasional violence.

The movement's most significant achievement came in 1989 when the DMK government divided the Backward Class category into Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes, placing Vanniyars in the MBC category with a separate 20% quota. This remains a key part of Ramadoss's legacy.

While the PMK never achieved its founder's ambition of capturing power in Tamil Nadu, it became a significant player in state politics, often acting as a kingmaker in alliances. Ramadoss's retirement marks the end of an era in Tamil Nadu's political landscape.