The principal Opposition party in Puducherry, the DMK, has submitted a memorandum to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for the Ministry of Home Affairs, reiterating their demand for Statehood for Puducherry.
In a memorandum to the visiting Committee members, a delegation of DMK leaders led by the Opposition leader R. Siva, has urged the panel to prevail upon the Central Government to accord Statehood for Puducherry.
The memorandum noted that the Puducherry Assembly had adopted 14 resolutions demanding Statehood. However, the Centre has not taken any steps to alter the status of Puducherry.
The delegation also reiterated the demand to include the Union Territory under the ambit of recommendations of the Finance Commission to obtain a revenue share from the Union Government. The DMK leaders also requested the Committee to stop the privatisation of Electricity Department, to re-open ration shops and textile mills and to provide 25 % reservation for local students in admissions to Pondicherry University.
Memorandum to protect UT’s identity
In another memorandum, an NGO, the Social Justice Forum, urged the Standing Committee members to protect the political and social rights of the people of Puducherry. The Forum has complained that there has been an infringement upon the rights of people of U.T. origin in recent times.
The people of Puducherry have a certain distinct identity compared to citizens of other parts of the country because of the U.T.’s French connection. The people of UT origin should be given a separate digital code during the next enumeration by the Census Commission. This issue has already been taken up with the Registrar General and the Census Commissioner of India, the memorandum said.
“We acquired citizenship of the country on August, 16, 1962. We are also bound by the French-India Cessation Treaty, 1956. There are certain clauses in the act which prevent outsiders from contesting in elections in the U.T. So, we have requested the Committee to direct the Election Commission of India to follow citizen rules pertaining to Puducherry while holding elections. There are enough provisions which bar people from outside of U.T. from contesting in polls here,” the forum said.
Former Minister and CPI leader R. Viswanathan said the Committee was briefed about the legalities involved in outsiders contesting from Puducherry.
