Victory for social justice, say TN parties

Stating that the decision made by the Centre 25 years after the recommendations of the Mandal Commission came to effect was a ‘consolation’ and ‘significant development’ in the history of social justice, Stalin said the DMK created a record by ensuring 4,000 medical seats were alloted per year to OBC students through its legal battle to uphold social justice. Cutting across party lines, other political parties in Tamil Nadu welcomed Prime minister Narendra Modi’s announcement as a victory for social justice. 

CHENNAI: Though the first social justice victory achieved since forming DMK government has ensured 27% seats in AIQ for OBCs students in TN, the DMK is firm in its demand that 50% reservation for OBCs across the country should be implemented in accordance with the 69% reservation scheme in vogue in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Stalin said. Asserting that the DMK regime would make efforts till such complete (50 per cent reservation for OBCs) social justice was achieved, the CM said that nearly 10,000 OBC students lost opportunity to pursue medical education due to the Union government not following the reservation policy. “Our party leader Kalaignar Karunanidhi has been a strong campaigner of reservation and this move by the Centre is similar to the social justice principles of the DMK,” Health Minister Ma Subramanian told DT Next.

Political commentator Raveendran Duraisamy welcomed the move and said that the reservation policies are good to uplift the economically weaker sections. The Congress should also support this policy mooted by the Centre, Duraisamy said.

“This is good news for the public and the students who have been denied opportunities to pursue medical and dental courses. The AIADMK government was instrumental in bringing 7.5 per cent reservation for the government school student and our leaders OPS and EPS will respond in detailed manner welcoming the new reservation policy,” an AIADMK senior responded when contacted.