OBC quota issue is akin to Mahabharat war

Chennai, Sep 4 (UNI) DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today compared the issue of 27 per cent reservation for OBCs to the Mahabharat war and said Union HRD Minister Arjun Singh will also finally win the battle like his legendary namesake.

Speaking at the 150th year foundation day celebrations of the Madras University here, Mr Karunanidhi said ''like Lord Krishna, who drove the chariot for Arjun and helped him in winning the Mahabharat war, we will support this Arjun, who is spearheading it, in winning the battle.'' Tracing the roots and the growth of the Dravidian movement in the State, Mr Karunanidhi said the seeds for the present 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in higher educational institutions were sown in 1926 itself when the then State government brought the Communal GO paving way for reservation.

Recalling the struggles launched by Rationalist leader 'Periyar' E V Ramasamy and late Chief Ministers C N Annadurai and K Kamaraj, he said these agitations in 1950 had led to the first Constitutional Amendment providing reservation in education and jobs for socially and educationally backward people.

He said Tamil Nadu in general and Dravidian movement in particular was the forerunner for the present 27 per cent reservation to be implemented all over the country, more than 50 years after the first amendments were made in this regard.

''People who are going to implement it are seated here,'' he said pointing to the presence of Mr Singh and Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Chidambaram said the Madras University had submitted the draft report on setting up the National Centre on Nano Sciences and Bio-medical Technology and expressed confidence of releasing the Centre's grant of Rs 100 crore this year itself for the project.

Mr Arjun Singh spoke on the HRD Ministry's programmes for the 150th year of the University, his cabinet colleague Dayanidhi Maran recalled the history of the Varsity and spoke on how it evolved as a great institution over the years.

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