Journalism of Courage
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S Ramadoss has urged the Tamil Nadu government to implement the 10.5 per cent reservation for the Vanniyar community within the Most Backward Class (MBC) quota. The reservation bill was passed in the state assembly in February during the AIADMK regime, and the Governor had assented to it.
In a statement, Ramadoss questioned the Minister for Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes and Minority Welfare SS Sivashankar for saying that the reservation to Vanniyars under the MBC quota could not be implemented due to pending cases in the Madras High Court.
A government order (GO) was published by the Higher Education Department in April, other departments should have passed similar orders and the 10.5 per cent reservation for Vanniyar youths would have been implemented in education and employment, the PMK leader said. “Tamil Nadu doesn’t have a separate Social Justice Department, but it is the duty and the responsibility of the Backward Class Minister to ensure social justice,” he added.
Ramadoss said that the reservation policy is implemented in government institutions but not done for government jobs. “In a recent circular, which said that 555 persons would be appointed temporarily as Homeopath doctors and assistants in primary healthcare centres, it was mentioned that the previous reservation policy will be followed. For appointments of various posts in Madras High Court, it was said that based on the final verdict of the pending cases, the 10.5 per cent reservation will be implemented. Both these decisions are wrong,” he said.
The PMK leader said that cases have been pending against the 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker section before the Supreme Court for two-and-a-half years.
“Though there are several cases filed against the Vanniyar reservation, the Madras High Court refused to stay. So, refusing to implement the 10.5 per cent reservation quota is contempt of law; this should be avoided. Chief Minister MK Stalin should intervene and clarify,” he said.
Ramadoss also wanted the government to constitute a group of senior lawyers to fight the cases.
