At a function organised by textile industry associations in Coimbatore National General Secretary Muralidhar Rao has said that Tamil Nadu, after having been part of the Centre and with 39 MPs, is starved of development. He said the parties had enjoyed disproportionate power for over 10 years by alternately being a part of winning coalitions in the Centre. Suddenly, the parties found themselves at a disadvantage in the changed political scenario as they have no representation in the Centre.
He is right in the sense that by being a constituent of the UPA government at the Centre from 2004 to March 2013 and in earlier coalition governments at the Centre, it could get lot of benefits for the development of Tamil Nadu and its people unlike the ADMK, which as a constituent of the NDA government led by A.B. Vajpayee did not even think of the State and people but only pressurizing the Centre for withdrawing corruption cases against its supremo and now with 37 MPs in the Lok Sabha existed like a swollen but very weak group.
On the contrary, ever since Thalaivar Kalaignar led DMK to make forays into national politics, he has brought numerous benefits for Tamil Nadu and its people and strengthened the spirit of federalism, social justice and socialism.
When the Congress party ruling at the Centre split into two factions, one led by Indira Gandhi and the other by old guards, Kalaignar threw his weight behind Indira Gandhi for implementing her progressive policies like nationalization of banks and abolition of privy purses. It was then that Kalaignar was able to get Tuticorin port in 1974 from the Centre. By supporting Indira Gandhi in 1980 elections, Kalaignar was able to persuade the Centre to sanction the long pending demand of Salem Steel Plant in 1982 though the ADMK led by MGR was ruling the State then.
During the infamous National Emergency days in 1975-77, Kalaignar played a crucial role at the national level in defence of democracy and against authoritarianism even risking the existence of his government in Tamil Nadu. Leaders of national opposition parties declared that only in Tamil Nadu there was breath of democracy and it remained as an island in the country. Kalaignar played significant role in the formation of Janata Party government at the Centre in 1977. Later Kalaignar played significant role in the formation of United Front government at the Centre in 1996 and in the formation of UPA governments in 2004 and 2009.
The DMK which participated in the National Front government in 1990, subsequently participated in the United Front government in 1996 and National Democratic Alliance government in 1999, and continued to strive for installing stable rule at the Centre and for establishing its basic principles of equality, social justice, communal harmony, State autonomy, language right, eradication of poverty and economic progress.
In 1989, the DMK participated in the National Front Government headed by V.P. Singh, a crusader of social justice. On the insistence of DMK President, Kalaignar, 27 % reservation for OBCs in the services of the Government of India was implemented as per the recommendations of the Mandal Commission. The Cauvery River Tribunal was constituted to resolve the Cauvery water dispute. In Chennai Airport, the domestic terminal was named after Perunthalaivar Kamaraj, and the international terminal was named after Arignar Anna.
When the DMK participated in the National Democratic Alliance government, besides preventing offensives against minority communities like enforcing Common Civil Code and removing Article 370 of the Constitution, it continuously pressed all sections to abide by the verdict of the Supreme Court in the Ayodhya issue.
While participating in the United Progressive Alliance government led by the Congress and Union Cabinet from 2004 to 2013, the contribution of DMK for the development and progress of Tamil Nadu is noteworthy.
The views advanced for several hours by Murasoli Maran as Union Industries and Commerce Minister, at the World Trade Organisation meeting in Doha for protecting Indian agriculture was hailed by the countries of the world. Besides classifying public sector units in India on the basis of their performance and declaring exemplary units as ‘Navratna’, the efforts made by him to improve the performance of other PSUs were very much appreciated. The credit for establishing the headquarters of Intellectual Property Rights Appellate Board, formed on the basis of WTO Agreement, in Chennai goes to him.
By the sustained efforts of DMK Ministers in the UPA government since 2004, Tamil Nadu has been benefited in many ways :
Declaration of Tamil as Classical language; Formation of Central Classical Tamil Research Institute in Chennai; Out of 4,676 KM long national highways 3,276 KM was developed as four-lane roads at a cost of Rs.56,664.21 crore, gigantic traffic flyovers, port expansion works, cargo terminals, waterway transport facilities through Shipping and Surface Transport Department were undertaken.
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 upgraded to international standards including cold rolling at the cost of Rs.1553 crores, National Siddha Medicine Research Centre at Tambaram, separate Railway Division for Salem, Mohan Kumaramanalam Government Medical College Hospital, Salem was upgraded to super specialty hospital at a cost of Rs.120 crores.
Elevated Expressway corridor between Chennai Port to Maduravayal at a cost of Rs.1,650 crore, Sethusamudram Canal Project at a cost of Rs.2427 crore, desalination plant at Nemmeli at the cost of Rs.908 crore, Project for widening the road linking Chennai and Ennore ports at a cost of Rs.640 crore, permission to convert all meter gauge railway lines to broad gauge lines in Tamil Nadu, 90 railway over bridges and underpasses at the cost of Rs.1828 crore, Metro Rail in Chennai, Hogenakkal drinking water scheme., expansion of airports in Trichy, Madurai and Coimbatore.
National Maritime University at international standard, Central University at Tiruvarur, World class Central University at Coimbatore, Indian Institute of Management at Tiruchi, National Institute for empowering persons with multiple disabilities in Chennai – first in Asia “N.S.G.” Centre at Chennai, employment for 100 days guaranteed under National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, removal of “CENVAT” to benefit weavers, withdrawal of POTA.
For the first time in India 3G technology in Information Technology on par with developed countries, introduction of National e-governance programme in all villages, a novel scheme to talk at the rate of 50 paise to any destination in India, 1.20 crore new telephone connections every month.
27% reservation for OBCs in Union government higher education institutions, waiver of loan and interest amount due to commercial banks and cooperative credit institutions for farmers of all states to the tune of Rs.72,000 crores by Union government, extension of education loans to the tune of several hundreds of crores of rupees by nationalised commercial banks.
As part of the government at the Centre, while working for the welfare of the people of Tamil Nadu, Kalaignar ensured that the DMK never failed to advocate its basic policies.
While this is the record of Kalaignar’s forays into national politics, Jayalalitha used her only chance to be an ally of the ruling coalition at the Centre in 1998-99 for virtual blackmailing for her personal ends that at the end of it, a vexed Prime Minister Vajpayee declared that having aligned with her party was the biggest mistake he committed in his political life and would never again commit the blunder in the rest of his life. (31 May 2015)
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