‘Those asking others to go to Pakistan should go there’

Kanimozhi says minorities in India have done a lot for the country

Those who were repeatedly asking the people who question the government [Centre] and raise voices against injustices to go to Pakistan are the ones who should go there as they seem to know more about Pakistan and are constantly referring to the neighbouring country, DMK MP Kanimozhi said on Tuesday.

In an apparent reference to the BJP, she said: “Some of the leaders in some parties have referred to Pakistan much more in one speech than I have ever done in my life. If somebody has to leave this country, you please do because you don’t fit in here, you don’t fit into the modern idea of India, Periyar’s idea of India. This State belongs to us.”

At a national conference on ‘Peace and Justice: A subaltern perspective’, organised by the Department of Social Work, Loyola College, in association with the Subalterns’ Alliance for Peace, she said the minorities in India were not minorities but had done more for the country than those who are oppressing the country today. “They fought for independence, they brought education to all than what you people have ever done,” she said.

“We see history being rewritten, we see inclusion being looked down on, we see reaching out to people as anti-national and if you voice your opinion against it, nobody less than the top leadership of the country calls you urban naxals,” Ms. Kanimozhi said.

She said reservation was being frowned upon and attempts were being made to disrupt the march towards justice, social equality and create divisions among the people which, unfortunately, were working.

Food politics

Referring to the Akshaya Patra Foundation being roped in to provide breakfast in government schools in Chennai, she said the nutritious meal scheme was very successful and every government in the State, despite ideological differences, focussed on improving and expanding the scheme. “But today, even that is privatised. Every government in Tamil Nadu, I am proud to say, despite ideological differences — not even one government stopped it…they focused only on expanding it.”