Those who expressed doubts regarding the release of internally-displaced Tamils from camps in Sri Lanka will now realise that the Tamils are being returned gradually, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said on Thursday.
He was reacting to the development of the Sri Lankan government releasing 41,685 Tamils from 12,000 families from government-run relief camps in the north and who were originally displaced during the Eelam War IV.
Mr Karunanidhi also referred to reported statements recently made by Muttu Sivanlingam, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister, and Senthil Thondaman, Minister in the Uva Province, during their visit to Tamil Nadu, on the issue of the return of the Tamils from camps to houses.
Till Wednesday, 12,420 persons were sent back, Mr. Karunanidhi pointed out in a statement.
On the draft syllabi for classes I and VI under the equitable standard education, the Chief Minister said if constructive feedback was provided, efforts would be made to modify the syllabi accordingly.
Referring to opposition to the permission for commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) Bt Brinjal, he called for a decision based on consultations with farmers and consumers.
On the uproar over the Andhra Pradesh government’s order for implementing the concept of creamy layer in the reservations for the Backward Classes in education and employment, Mr. Karunanidhi said the Constitution provided quotas for socially and educationally BCs. His party – Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam - had been opposing any attempt against this basic principle.
In 1979, the then Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran sought to exclude those having an annual income of over Rs. 9,000 from the ambit of reservation. But, this was stoutly opposed by the DMK. “Our stand is that economic criterion should not be introduced in the scheme of reservation,” Mr. Karunanidhi reiterated
