The Hindu : PMK manifesto for proportional community reservation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 01, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

PMK manifesto for proportional community reservation

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, FEB. 29. Reiterating its commitment to work for "social and economic justice", the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) today said it would seek a community-wise census and proportional reservation for different communities.

The entire population can be split into five major groups with proportional reservation for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes, Most Backward Classes, Backward Classes, Minorities and other communities according to their population size, says the party's manifesto for the Lok Sabha election.

The PMK founder-leader, S. Ramadoss, presented the first copy to the party president, G.K. Mani.

The party would seek specific reservation for the minority communities, strict implementation of reservation norms, removing the `creamy layer' concept, and clearing of backlog in filling vacancies and a White Paper from the Union Government on the status of reservation. The PMK was also for extension of reservation to the private sector and the higher judiciary.

The PMK would work for 33 per cent reservation for women in Legislatures and Parliament to ensure that women were involved in policy-making and enacting legislation.

The manifesto was prepared with a view to fighting communalism and authoritarianism, promoting nationalism, social justice, equity, secularism and for a strong federal structure to make India strong, Tamil Nadu prosperous and rejuvenate Pondicherry.

"The party is committed to reaching the goal of ending poverty, unemployment, achieving universal primary education and universalisation of basic amenities by 2010."

Pointing to the United Nation's declaration of the Millennium Development Goals, the PMK said it would work for ensuring not only civil and political rights but also economic, social and cultural rights for all, besides rights to employment, basic amenities, gender equality and information.

"We will work for the removal of anti-worker legislation, including the Tamil Nadu Essential Services Maintenance Act, through appropriate legal mechanisms. The party seek the revival of free power, increased budgetary allotment for agriculturists and evolving of employment-generation programmes.

"In the short-term itself, the PMK would seek nationalisation of inter-State rivers as a permanent solution to the vexed Cauvery dispute."

On the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils, the manifesto only makes a general reference to protecting the interests of Tamils the world over. Asked if he was changing tack, Dr. Ramadoss replied that it only reflected the change in scenario in Sri Lanka.

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