The 2nd National Conference of the All India Federation for Social Justice was held on 19th September, 2023 through hybrid mode (physical and virtual) at New Delhi. The event was convened by Mr. P.Wilson, Member of parliament, DMK, Rajya Sabha. Dr.K. Veeramani, President, Dravidar Kazhagam participated in the virtual mode and spoke on the topic “INDIA for Social Justice.” His speech was as follows:
“Good morning everybody. I am glad to meet you all on this historic occasion. The topic “INDIA for Social Justice” is rightly chosen. At this point of time, the focus should be shifted from all other things to Social Justice. Social Justice is admumbrated in our Constitution in the Preamble itself. It starts thus as all of us know – “We the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic and to secure to all its citizens justice- social, economic and political.”
Hence it is needless to remind this august audience that out of all those points in the preamble, Social Justice takes top priority.
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To secure it to all our citizens is our bounden duty, Even after 75 years of Independence, whether we have achieved it or not, is the moot question. Now due to the continuous fight of the stalwarts – Thanthai Periyar, Babasaheb Ambedkar and all those we were collectively fighting, there is great improvement. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was a great democrat who was responsible for the first amendment in the Constitution. Periyar was the cause and the effect was the then Prime Minister. So, the first amendment assured justice to all the socially and educationally backward class people, all the depressed, downtrodden, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. All put together, must get priority in education and employment. How far we have achieved it and whether we have achieved it at all after 75 years of Independence are the most important questions.
You may take our Dravidian Model Government in Tamil Nadu under the able and dynamic leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister M.K.Stalin, for instance. He has constituted a monitoring committee for social justice to visit various places, meet people and find out how far the implementation part of the reservations has been carried out. That is more important.
It is also very important that we insist not only on introducing and securing on paper but insist that it must be practically available to all the depressed and downtrodden people. Even in Mandal Commission case, we got very low percentage of reservation. The SC people never got their reservation fully. The percentage was low. The ST people equally suffered low percentage. The situation of 27 per cent reservation remained disappointing. What about the reservation in higher judiciary? What about the reservation in the appointment of High Court and Supreme Court judges? What is the position of the public sector undertaking? These are all to be analysed.
Cheranmadevi Gurukulam Agitation Centenary (1923-2023)
Newspaper in Defence
In Gurukulams non-brahmins and Brahmins are served food in different places. They cannot be seated all together. This system is followed even at Shanti Niketan founded by Tagore. Kurja Institution in Sabarmati Ashram also serves food in this manner. In Gujarat, a number of schools are functioning with the financial aid from the Congress. Scheduled caste children are being denied admission itself in those schools. This is the situation today in India, that cannot change overnight. Hence, V.V.S. Iyer was right in his view.
(‘Swadesa Mithran’ 4.11.1924)
Late regret
P.S. Subramania Chettiar who lived in Eppo (Malaysia) was one of the non-brahmins donating funds to Gurukulam. Since 1923 he had been associated with it. He visited the Gurukulam at Kallidai Kurichi and observed the activities. He found non-brahmins and Brahmins served food at different places. Because of his affinity towards V.V.S. Iyer he ignored the discrimination then, but when he met Periyar later in Madurai, he realised the injustice. Periyar explained the caste based cruelty and brought about a change in Subramania Chettiar.
The reservation is there in public sector. These people in power want to take it away. What they have given through the front door, they are trying to take away through the back door, by scrapping it and grabbing it and by converting the public utilities; by converting public sector into private sector. So it is our bounden duty to raise a call and ask for reservation in private sector also.
So, the most important thing that we must do is to ask the rulers- “Have you implemented what you had announced earlier?” There is a clear breach of assurance. Even in the matter of 50 per cent ceiling in reservation, they do not wish to observe it when they consider the Upper Caste. When they come to the depressed and the downtrodden, they want to see several things.
It is important to discuss three vital issues and take a historical decision. We must all turn into fighters for social justice and see that all these 3 issues are settled.
1. Reservation in higher judiciary.2. Reservation in private sector
3. Call for the Castewise Census, so that all the caste related positions are very clear.
How all the above 3 tasks are accomplished is very important.
Above all, the rulers are trying to make us believe that they are very sympathetic towards reservation and all such things. They want to give political reservation. As far as the reserved constituencies are concerned, it is also extended. But more than political and economic reservation, we need social reservation.
Socially we are depressed and downtrodden. We have been socially and educationally suppressed. We have been deprived of our rights. Most of our rights have been taken away from us. That is why social reservation is the dire need of the hour, on the social plank. It is the right time for us now to fight with our cudgel. We are not asking for any charity, we are always for parity. Thank you very much.
