VILLUPURAM:Pattali Makkal Katchi youth wing president and Lok Sabha member Dr Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday sought special provisions for Tamil Nadu enshrined in the Constitution under Article 371 to promote social justice. He made the demand in the context of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for medical courses imposed on an unwilling State.
Anbumani was participating in the party’s Social Justice conclave here to mark the 30th anniversary of the death of 21 protestors demanding reservation.Article 371 of the Constitution gives select states a degree of autonomy on specified subjects. Article 371 to 371I describe the exemptions granted to around a dozen states in the Constitution.Anbumani demanded that the Centre create Article 371K to put Tamil Nadu in the autonomy basket. That alone can solve issues like NEET, he said.
Anbumani urged the youth to organise massive demonstrations on the lines of the jallikkattu protests to force the Centre to introduce a constitutional amendment to incorporate Article 371K.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he was the the Gujarat chief minister, had fought for State autonomy, he recalled. But now as the PM, he refuses to give it to those in need, Anbumani charged.
Regarding NEET, Anbumani said CBSE students alone were getting benefited while the State board students were failing as the standard of education in Tamil Nadu is absymally low.
He said many have misunderstood social justice as something to do with caste. “It’s actually meant to act as a balance in society. Social justice changes from country to country. In Tamil Nadu, we need social justice in education, job opportunity, economic, health and equality.”
Showcasing the PMK as a party that is different from the crowd, he said: “the PMK not only pinpoints problems but also offers constructive solutions in a scientific way, but unfortunately the ruling parties at the Centre nd the State never listen to it.”Anbumani also said that in 2004, during the alliance with Congress, while DMK fought for ministerial posts, PMK demanded 27 per cent quota allotment for the backward classes. That’s what Ramadoss demanded in the alliance meeting also in 2006, after which was given official stamp by the then UPA-I government at the Centre.Assailing the freebie culture, he said if the PMK comes to power, not even a single pin would be given by the government free of cost. Instead, it would provide free and high quality education and health services, he said.PMK founder S Ramadoss chaired the conclave. Party president G K Mani also took part.