The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : State the first to set up panel for Backward Classes: Karunanidhi

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Saturday, Jan 06, 2007
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State the first to set up panel for Backward Classes: Karunanidhi

Special Correspondent

He was addressing a meeting at the British Council to mark release of a book

FIRST COPY: Union Minister for Panchayati Raj, Youth Affairs and Sports Mani Shankar Aiyar handing over a copy of the book, `Plain Speaking — A Sudra's Story' to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi at the British Council on Friday. Editor of the book Uttara Natarajan is also in the picture. — Photo: K. Pichumani

CHENNAI: Noting that Tamil Nadu was the first State in the country to set up a commission for backward classes, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Friday said he was glad to note that President A.P.J Abdul Kalam had given his assent to the Backward Classes Bill.

It took so long for the Bill of this nature to become a reality, he said and added that this was a major victory for the people.

He was speaking at a meeting organised at the British Council here to mark the publication of a book, `Plain Speaking: A Sudra's Story,' written by A.N. Sattanathan and edited by Uttara Natarajan, Senior Lecturer, Goldsmiths' College, the University of London.

Tense days

Recalling the tense days of the caste struggle, Mr. Karunanidhi, who quoted extensively from the book, said discrimination based on caste was one of the main reasons for Periyar to quit the Congress and start a movement against the Brahmin-dominated social order.

Mr. Karunanidhi lamented that in the present times, a book did not sell if there was no love angle in it.

Union Minister for Panchayati Raj, Youth Affairs and Sports, Mani Shankar Aiyar, who handed over the first copy of the publication to Mr. Karunanidhi, detailed the close association with the Sattanathan family.

Stressing the need for all communities to move forward together, Mr. Aiyar, said reservations were necessary, even in the private sector. But communities should not rest on reservations alone. Education was the key to progress, he said and underlined the fact that the Brahmins had forged ahead because of the importance they attached to education.

He said Sattanathan found it ridiculous that the 96 per cent majority (Backward Classes, and other oppressed sections) were afraid of the four per cent minority (Brahmins). Rajeswari Sunder Rajan, Distinguished Visiting Global Professor, New York University, introduced the book. Dr. Uttara Natarajan read out three passages from the book. Chris Gibson, Director, British Council, South India, who announced the handing over of honorary memberships of the Council Library to the Chief Minister and the Union Minister, said that the book was a key literary, historical document on the caste struggle in the State.

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