The political alliance under the leadership of DMK in Tamil Nadu started its propaganda from Nagercoil wherein Rahul Gandhi addressed for the alternative to the current BJP rule at the Centre
V.Kumaresan
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The BJP headed National Democratic Alliance has been ruling at the Centre since 2014 and the country is facing general elections for the 17th Lok Sabha. The BJP by wearing the mask of ‘growth’ won in 2014 with unprecedented majority of seats in the independent India. The public fell a prey to the rhetoric of promises from the political representatives of Sangh Parivar. During past five years, the promises had remained as mere promises and their focus in the current election shifted from ‘growth’ to ‘terrorism’. Instead of keeping the country’s economy as such though not taking up to further lead, the position remains in reverse gear. Due to the improperly thought out demonetization and ill planned GST implementation, many have lost their jobs especially in the unorganized sector. In organized sectors too, the job losses are substantial, unprecedented to the lowest level the last four decades. This is the major failure of the BJP’s rule to whom the mandate of unprecedented majority was given by the electorate in 2014.
During the five years, the BJP has been attempting only in increasing the number of States ruled by BJP, unmindful of the popular support from the public and the numerical majority it requires and managing through the Governors of the respective States. By degrading the democratic norms, it was made to analyse on ‘Whether Governorship is carrying out its constitutional duties properly?’
Rahul Gandhi in interactive gesture with Asiriyar Dr. K. Veeramani while the book, ‘Collected Works of Periyar EVR’ , presented to him
The utterance of many popular political thinkers’. ‘Governorship’, which is mere appointment by the Central ruler is anathema to decide on who has to assume power to rule the State after the electorate has duly expressed their mandate. The Governors of non BJP ruled States have not discharged their duties in the representative capacity of the respective State Governments. Unprecedented degradation has occurred in respect of Governors’ functioning during the five year rule of BJP treating the duly elected State Governments to the level of local bodies.
With well thought outlook and reality, the Constitution framers kept the subject ‘Education’ under the State List. During the emergency declared in 1976, when the democratic rights were curtailed, the subject ‘Education’ was shifted to the Concurrent List, wherein both the Central and State governments have to concur on the development views and issues concerning education. But later practically ‘Education’ was treated as if it is in Centre List. During the BJP rule it went up to peak of degradation by the implementation of NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) at all India level for the medical college admission. The opposition to NEET was ignored and the legislations passed at the Tamil Nadu State Legislative Assembly unanimously seeking exemption for the State from conducting NEET was not at all considered by the Centre. The fate of the forwarded legislation by the Tamil Nadu Government has not been entertained with the courtesy of either its acceptance or rejection so far. What a horrible insult to the elected legislature by the people of Tamil Nadu! Indian polity is not unitary. The State’s rights are completely ignored, conveniently contradicting the constitutional mandate of the country, India as ‘Union of States’.
The country being constitutionally governed comprising States on linguistics basis, respecting the linguistic identity and the pride of the respective States. But contrary to the constitutional provisions and the promises given by the Central rulers at the floor of Parliament after independence, the BJP rule has been evincing special interests and undue thrust to implement the usage of compulsory Hindi and the never spoken language, Sanskrit. The rulers acted in a manner, revealing their scant respect for the regional languages. Besides BJP rule has taken retrograde steps to bring back the vedic schooling on par with the formal schooling where the academic syllabi are different altogether. There is a cunning move to bring economic criterion for the first time in the reservation policy to the well privileged forward caste people who have already represented both in education and employment more than adequately on their proportion to their respective population.
On noticing the start the degradation on all fronts from the commencement of present BJP rule, Dravidian Movement and its parental organization, Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) has been opposing through public propaganda, peaceful protest agitation and picketing to capture the attention of the rulers and sometimes its cadres imprisoned for the cause went in vain due to the adamant, authoritative attitude of BJP rulers. So formation of anti-secular, anti BJP front became inevitable for all the progressive political parties. They formed the United Progressive Alliance with Congress Party in the leading position. At Tamil Nadu state level, the political alliance has been formed with DMK as its leader. The manifestos released by Congress and DMK clearly promised remedy for the major evil of the Sangh Parivar rule, like exemption to NEET for the needy states, bringing ‘school education’ to State List and respecting State rights etc. The ideological thrusts given by DK during the past 5 years have materialized on many fronts in the poll manifestos of the Congress party and its major alliance partner Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu. The manifestation of thrust will materialize on May 23, declaring the results of Lok Sabha elections.
Let the wisdom dawn on the electorate to elect the ruler who are really concerned for their cause!
