INDIA Coalition Will Uplift OBCs, SCs & STs by Coming to Power
Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin exuded confidence on the next Union Government earnestly fulfilling the pledges to uplift OBCs, SCs and STs as given in the manifesto of the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections in an apparent expression of hope that the INDIA coalition would win the ongoing elections and come to power.
In his speech at the national conference of the All India Federation for Social Justice on Wednesday, which was read out by the federation coordinator and DMK MP P Wilson, Stalin said the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly had recently passed a resolution urging the Union Government to extend reservations to Scheduled Caste members who had converted to Christianity.
Recalling the legacy of the Justice Party government that stood as a beacon of social justice by introducing reservations for the underprivileged through the communal GO way back in 1921, he said, ‘As we convene today, it's imperative to acknowledge Tamil Nadu's pivotal role in championing Social Justice within India.’
It was the resolute protests by the Dravidian movement, famously known as ‘the happenings in Madras,’ amidst threats to the reservation system post-independence that catalyzed the First Amendment to the Constitution which solidified affirmative action, ensuring the continued uplift of marginalized communities, Stalin said.
‘Currently, Tamil Nadu proudly boasts a 69% reservation for OBCs, SC/STs, surpassing the arbitrary 50% limit,’ he said, adding that recent strides, including a groundbreaking 7.5% reservation in professional courses for students from Government schools, alongside full financial support for those admitted under this quota, had been made in the State.
‘It heartens me to observe that many of the DMK's principles echo within the Congress Election Manifesto for the 2024 Parliamentary Elections. I earnestly hope that our forthcoming Government will earnestly fulfill its pledges to uplift OBCs and SC/STs, he said.
The conference was attended by former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, present president Mallikarjun Kharge and several others.
