Saturday 14 January 2012

Kalaignar provides Rule of Justice and Compassion

Participating in the function for the launch of the audio-visual CD of the theme song for the World Classical Tamil Conference, on May 15 in Chennai, veteran play back singer T.M.Soundararajan called Chief Minister Kalaignar M.Karunanidhi as ‘Dharmaraja’ and explained that Kalaignar is providing ‘a rule of dharma’; the word ‘dharma’ has a wide-ranging meaning including virtuous deed, compassion, charity, justice and moral conduct, all of which can be perfectly ascribed for the18 years rule of Kalaignar so far since 1969 when he took over the mantle for the first time after Anna’s demise.
 
Greeting Justice S.K.Kapadia on his elevation as Chief Justice of India, former Supreme Court judge, Justice V.R.Krishna Iyer said, “India is a poor country. Poverty jurisprudence and social justice should get top priority.” Indeed, the guiding principles of Kalaignar for his rule are poverty, political-prudence and social justice, the first drawn from Arignar Anna’s ideal, “Let’s see the Almighty in the smile of the poor” and the second being the creed of the Dravidian movement.
 
Every step taken by Kalaignar, every scheme introduced and every welfare measure initiated by him during these 18 years and continuing, more particularly in the last four years since 2006, was aimed at providing immediate relief to the poor and downtrodden, oppressed sections of the society and minority communities and for their progress and development in the long term. The list of these measures and details will run to volumes and to mention a few :
 
One of the first major steps taken by Kalaignar during his first tenure as CM in the interests of common man – and for the first time in the country – was the state take over of bus routes and buses in 1969, providing cheap and affordable transport facilities to every nook and corner of the state. Buses and mini buses are plying to remote hamlets even on unremunerative routes, which private sector would not have done. Thousands of new buses are acquired every year making transport network in the state most extensive and efficient in India. Under Rural Electrification project, 100 per cent of villages were given power connection. Kalaignar instituted TN Slum Clearance Board and lakhs of slum dwellers were accommodated in flats. He also set up TWAD Board to provide protected drinking water to all villages and towns. Free eye camps, Beggars Rehabilitation scheme, Abolition of hand-pulled rickshaws, Free concrete houses to Scheduled Castes and Tribes, Act to provide conferment of ownership of house-sites (Kudiyiruppu Act), by which lakh of poor people living in rural areas were benefited and which was hailed by pioneer leader of Communist Party late Manali Kandasamy saying, “What agitations for several decades could not get was accomplished by Kalaignar with a drop of ink (for signing the connected order)”; Act fixing fair wages to farm labourers, Separate Ministers for Backward Classes and Scheduled Castes; Constitution of Backward Classes Commission and increasing the quantum of reservations for BCs to 31 per cent from 25 per cent, setting up a Police Commission for the first time in India; Free education to all upto PUC; May Day declared as a holiday with wages cheering the working class; Link Roads scheme to connect all villages having a population exceeding 1500 – were all the achievements of Kalaignar during his first tenure from 1969-71.
In his second term in office between 1971 and 1976, besides welfare measures, Kalaignar also concentrated on industrial and agricultural development which would improve the living standard of people of the state. In the agricultural front, Land Ceiling Act, fixing 15 standard acres as the ceiling was passed and surplus lands to the extent of 2,00,258 acres had been distributed to 1,50,401 landless agricultural labourers so far; Land Tax was abolished on dry lands benefiting lakhs of poor farmers who were dependent on only rain; The ‘Manu Neethi Thittam’ started by Kalaignar brought district administration down to the village level redressing on spot grievances of rural masses; Kalaignar found the first Agricultural University at Coimbatore which produced many short-term, high yielding varieties of paddy and other crops thus ushering in Green Revolution in the State; Free housing scheme for fisherfolk; ‘Karunai Illams’ in temples for children; Family Benefit Fund scheme to government employees and abolition of confidential reports on them; ‘Kongu Vellalar’ and Urdu-speaking Muslims like Tamil-speaking Muslims included in the list of Backward Classes were other notable measures during that period. Noteworthy developments in the industrial front during that period were inauguration of Salem Steel Plant, Second Mine Cut and Electricity Project at Neyveli, Petroleum and Industrial Chemicals Factory at Thoothukudi, setting up of Small Industries Development Corporation (SIDCO), SIPCOT Industrial Parks, Poompuhar Shipping Corporation and SIPCOT complexes.

Within two years of his third tenure between 1989 and 1991 , (the DMK government was dismissed by the short-lived Chandrasekhar government at the Centre), Kalaignar made historic achievements in the interests of the poor and oppressed. Free electricity to farmers was given for the first time in the country. First veterinary and Animal Sciences University was established which was also the first time in Asia. Direct Paddy Procurement centres, establishment of Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation Limited, setting up of Dr. MGR Medical University, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University and Bharathidasan University. Efforts were made to set up Cauvery Tribunal.
 
Kalaignar’s contributions for the cause of social justice during this period were noteworthy. 20 per cent exclusive reservation for Most Backward Classes including Vanniars and Seermarabinar (denotified community), 18 per cent separate reservation for SCs and one per cent for STs; free education to MBCs and subject to income ceiling to BCs up to Degree level; Financial assistance to poor girls for marriages, pregnant women, widows for remarriage and to encourage inter-caste marriages; Kalaignar’s services for women’s emancipation during this period are laudable – Law for Equal Property Rights for Women, 30 per cent reservations for women in government services, Women’s Self Help Groups benefiting 10 lakh women – were pioneering measures in the country, some of which are now adopted by the Centre and many state governments. It was during this period that the then Prime Minister of the National Front government at the Centre implemented the Mandal Commission report providing for 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in government services. Thiru V.P.Singh acknowledged the role played by Kalaignar in taking the cause of social justice to the national level.
 
From 1996 to 2001, during the fourth term as Chief Minister, Kalaignar accomplished tasks for all-round development of the state, implemented schemes for the welfare of various sections of the society, Tamil development and strengthening democracy at the grass-root level. Within six months after assuming office, elections were held for local bodies after 25 years and co-operatives; 33 per cent of seats in local bodies were reserved for women, by which 44,143 women including two women mayors assumed office; of the two women mayors one belonged to SC community. A huge project for supply of protected water for all villages, Anna Marumalarchi scheme for developmental works at villages level; Namakku Naame scheme and Mini Bus scheme for rural areas besides construction of over 20 dams, separate Welfare Board for agricultural workers, Farmers Market scheme, Desilting of rivers, tanks and canals in an unprecedented scale, 15 per cent reservation in professional courses for rural students, Cattle Protection scheme and 24 hour Primary Health Centres were measures aimed at improving the standard of living of rural masses. Over two lakh farmers were given house sites in poromboke lands where they were living in houses constructed which largely benefited the rural poor.
 
In the educational front, establishment of Dr. Ambedkar Law University for the first time in India, Periyar University in Salem, Tamil Virtual University to help World Tamils, Computer training scheme for Government college students, Single Window System of admission to professional colleges, Issuance of Community, Nativity and Income certificates on completion of 10th and 12th standards, Scheme for grant of expenses of higher education for first three rank holders in State and District levels, Free bus passes for students and Supply of eggs with nutritious meal – were hallmarks of the period.
New Transparent Industrial Policy, Single Window System for starting industries, improved seeds, new bridges, TIDEL Park in Chennai and Special scheme for the economic development of southern districts were aimed at industrial progress in the State. Madras renamed as Chennai, 133-ft Tiruvalluvar statue in Kanyakumari, For the first time in India, MLA Constituency Development Fund, Periyar Memorial Samathuvapuram scheme to eradicate caste discrimination, which Kalaignar had said is very close to his heart, Women’s Small Trade Loan scheme with saving scheme, Welfare Board for Unorganised Workers, Manimandapams for Tamil scholars and martyrs, New buildings for collectorates in nine districts, For the first time Bench of High Court at Madurai, construction of buildings for it and courts in various districts, Indigent Family Welfare scheme, Rs.104-crore new buildings for Chennai General Hospital and reappointment of 13,000 welfare workers – are among their achievements during the period. The setting up of Urdu Academy and Minorities Economic Development Corporation fulfilled the wishes of minority communities.
 
With the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre since 2004, led by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and guided by UPA Chairperson Tmt. Sonia Gandhi, with DMK as a very important constituent party and Kalaignar as one of its founder and his counsels being sought on vital matters. Tamil Nadu, Tamil language and people of the state have gained enormously. Kalaignar has now emerged as an elderly statesman par excellence most respected at the national level. Although in the beginning two years of 2004-06, the hostile Jayalalitha regime refused to cooperate, Kalaignar brought several benefits and projects for Tamil Nadu, most notable among them, the 150-year old dream of Tamils, the Sethusamudram project.
With the DMK returned to power in 2006 and Kalaignar assuming Chief Ministership for the fifth time, the pace of Tamil Nadu’s march towards all-round progress gained momentum emerging acknowledgedly as a model state in many respects for the rest of the country and Tamil language regained its pristine glory with the Centre declaring classical language status for Tamil.
 
For the first time in the history of independent and democratic India, the DMK’s Election Manifesto for the 2006 Assembly elections was the central theme for the campaign and Union Minister Thiru P.Chidambaram called the manifesto as the hero of the elections. Four years ago, the manner in which Kalaignar assumed office as CM for the fifth time carried a significant message. Minutes after the swearing-in at jam-packed Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, he signed orders for reducing the price of PDS rice from Rs.3.50 to Rs.2; writing-off co-operative loans of farmers to the tune of Rs.7,000 crore and supply of two eggs per week in the nutritious meals scheme, all electoral promises being fulfilled. The government would be more guided by the considerations of social welfare than other factors was the message. Almost all the electoral promises had been fulfilled and some are in the process of implementation. Moreover, much more have been done over and above these promises; for instance, prices of PDS rice was further brought down to one rupee a kg and three eggs per week are supplied in noon-meal scheme. The DMK’s popular slogan ‘We do what we have said, We say what we have done’ has now an addition ‘We will also do what we did not say’.
Some of the achievements of Kalaignar government in these four years have been widely publicized by the government and can be referred to by our readers on pages 6 and 7 in this issue.
As never before Kalaignar could secure number of benefits for the states from the UPA government at the Centre, among which are:
 
The declaration of Tamil as a Classical Language; and establishment of Central Institute of Classical Tamil; In the Shipping and National Highways ministry - at the cost of Rs.56,664.21 crore, 4,678 km long national highways was constructed of which 3,267 km are 4 lane and many mammoth flyovers, bridges, port expansions, container terminals and inland water ways were established; In Oragadam, near Chennai city at an investment of Rs.470 crore National Automobile Testing R&D Centre and other infrastructural facilities were developed; Salem Rolling Mill is upgraded to international standards including cold rolling at the cost of Rs.1,553 crore; 100 man days of employment is guaranteed to every rural household through National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
 
National Siddha Medicine Research Centre at Tambaram; Railway Divisional Office at Salem; Mohan Kumaramangalam Government Medical College Hospital, Salem is upgraded to super specialty hospital at the cost of Rs.120 crore; Elevated corridor between Chennai Port to Maduravayal; Sethusamudram Canal Project at the cost of Rs.2,427 crore; Removal of CENVAT for handloom weavers; Sea water desalination plant at Nemmeli at the cost of Rs.908 crore; Withdrawal of POTA; Permission to convert all meter gauge railway lines to broad     gauge lines in Tamil Nadu; 90 railway over bridges at the cost of Rs.1,828 crore; Metro Rail in Chennai; Hogenakkal drinking water scheme; 27 per cent reservation in Union government higher education institutions; Expansion of airports in Trichy, Madurai and Coimbatore; National Maritime University at international standard; Central University at Thiruvarur; World-class Central University at Coimbatore; Indian Institute of Management at Trichy; National Institute for empowering persons with multiple disabilities in Chennai – first in Asia; NSG at Chennai.  
 
Tamil Nadu obtained 11 per cent of total plan expenditure of Union government amounting to nearly Rs.3,70,000 crore over the first five years of UPA. This unprecedented financial transfer facilitated implementation of 69 union plan schemes in Tamil Nadu.
 
Kalaignar recently made a very confident statement that the achievements of the DMK government, the benefits of which are being enjoyed by all sections of people in their day to day life, will by itself bring the DMK back to power in the Assembly elections in 2011. In fact, 2011 election results will definitely surpass the historic record set by the DMK in 1971 elections, when it secured 184 seats on its own in the House of 234.
 
History will record the rule of Kalaignar in Tamil Nadu as ‘Golden Period’ like that of emperors Chandra Gupta Maurya and Ashoka in Indian history!           

(23-05-10)

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