| Published on 20-04-2007 In National |
| Viewed 1367 times |
| Reservations for TN minorities: mere lip sympathy |
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Written by
Cho Ramaswamy |
"The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's announcement on the floors of the state legislative assembly granting reservations for Christians and Muslims in [government] jobs and education is a cause for joy and we happily express it. Always Kalaignar has protected the interests of the minorities…"
Representatives of the minority communities have gone on record stating the above in praise of Karunanidhi, which was telecast [on expected lines] in the Sun TV network.
It is true that the Chief Minister made certain statements in this regard necessitating their being hailed. But, the fact remains that the paeans were sung prematurely because Karunanidhi has added a caveat to this in the same breath that reservations would be accorded only to backward sections amongst the minorities.
What is more, the Chief Minister has also referred to the recommendations of a commission in this regard.
Therefore, Karunanidhi hasn't clarified about the basis of the reservations and the principle that would guide him in this issue because there is a distinctive contradiction in his proclamation.
If cornered, he is perfectly capable of pointing out, "the policy of reservations do not encompass the entire Christian and Muslim minorities. Rather they cover only those who are backward amongst them," in future.
If one goes by that hypothesis, the identification of backward [castes] amongst the minorities will have to be identified.
Islamic sects like 'Lebbais' are already included the backwards' list. If a new list has to be prepared, how many communities should be inserted into this denomination and on what basis? There are no caste distinctions within Muslim and Christian communities. All amongst them are deemed to be equals.
If this distinction will be determined by an economic criterion, it will give rise to new complications.
Won't Hindus too demand the same as there are many who answer to the same handicaps within their midst? If that happens, the latest move by Karunanidhi will pave the way for several complicated legal implications. Karunanidhi will have to shoulder the 'blame' for introducing a new class of reservation seekers.
If the Chief Minister opts for the easy way out in the matter and ends up saying that he wants reservations for the minorities in their totality, its flip side has contorted ramifications. The Andhra Pradesh government attempted it and the enactment was thrown out by its High Court, which said that the Constitution did not permit such a division of the populace.
The appeal in this connection is pending in the Supreme Court. Nobody can predict the Apex Court's final denouement in this matter.
What does this statement of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister amidst all this brouhaha mean?
Unless Karunanidhi is sold on the idea that he would point to the courts as the culprits for placing stumbling blocks on the path created by him for the uplift of backward sections, thereby shifting the opprobrium in the direction of the judiciary, the pronouncement about reservations for minorities in the present form advocated by the Chief Minister has no meaning.
That is precisely the reason for my indicating that the minorities have hailed the CM in haste.
Kalaignar's pet scheme of two acres of free land for the poor has reached the pits by the offer of palm-sized land. In the reservation imbroglio, even such a fig leaf isn't possible. It may begin and end in mere lip sympathy. The minorities' seeing through this game of empty rhetoric quickly is a better option any day.
(Translated from Thuglak by TSV Hari) |
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