The Hindu : Front Page : DMK for full reservation for OBCs: Karunanidhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 19, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

DMK for full reservation for OBCs: Karunanidhi

Special Correspondent

Says efforts should be made to find out if this will be possible

Photo: M. Vedhan

IN DISCUSSION: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi presiding over a meeting of the DMK’s High-Level Implementation Committee at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai on Friday. —

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi asserted on Friday that his party would fight the issue of exclusion of creamy layer from the purview of the reservation for other backward classes legally, if the need arose. “The Central government would be with us on this.”

The DMK does not want the concept of the creamy layer to be considered when the ruling on reservation is being implemented. But if “we are offered only a shirt and not a towel, what do we do? We will take the shirt and keep demanding for the towel,” he said when asked if he would temporarily agree for implementation of the reservation order after excluding the creamy layer.

Mr. Karunanidhi was speaking to presspersons after he presided over a meeting of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s High Level Implementation Committee at the party headquarters here. The DMK wanted immediate and full reservation for the other backward classes. Asked if this would be possible, he said efforts should be made to find out if this would be possible. “If this is possible we will be glad. We will not give up our ideal. In any case there is no question of giving up the demand of reservation,” he said.

The Supreme Court had upheld the reservation for other backward classes in Central educational institutions. But it directed that the creamy layer should be excluded from the purview of reservation.

Asked about what steps his party would take on the issue, he said the DMK had adopted the resolution now. The DMK leadership and its legal wing would discuss it. Then a decision would be taken if the DMK should approach the court or adopt other means. “Right now the resolution is being placed before the Centre as an appeal,” he said.

Commenting on Union Minister Arjun Singh’s comment that reservation would be done taking into consideration the creamy layer, he said he too had seen the statement. When such big issues raged leaders offered their comments based on the information that they had. There was nothing wrong in this. “In our resolution we are emphasising our stand,” he said.

Mr. Karunanidhi explained that the DMK had tried to implement the concept of reservation based on economic criterion when it was in power in the State earlier. If a person was the first graduate in the family, he was given 5 additional marks. As per this government order, 500 people benefited. But some people went to court and the government order was struck down.

The High Level Committee meet was attended by senior DMK leaders including K. Anbazhagan, Arcot N. Veeraswami, M.K. Stalin, Veerapandi S. Arumugham, Durai Murugan, K. Ponmudi, Parithi Ilamvazhuthi and Union Ministers T.R. Baalu and A. Raja.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section

Sarabjit’s hanging put off to June 1

“Nepal situation not misread”

An inconvenient truth in Chennai

International news agencies not to cover IPL

Kolkata Knight Riders outplay Bangalore Royal Challengers