PMK urges special Assembly session on reservation

Tiruchirapalli, Aug 26 (UNI) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder-leader S Ramadoss has urged the Tamil Nadu Government to convene a special session of the State Assembly to decide on separate reservations for Christians and Muslims in proportion to their population.

Speaking at the 'Right to Live' conference here last night, he wanted the state government to expedite its move to give separate reservations for these religious minority communities without any legal hurdles on the reception of Justice Janarthanam Committee report.

He said Muslims, who constitute 30.4 per cent of the population in Kerala, got 12 per cent reservation. In Karnataka, the 12 per cent Muslim population get four per cent and in Andhra Pradesh, the 8.5 per cent got four per cent reservation. But Tamil Nadu, the birthplace of rationalist leader ''Periyar'', was still fighting for social justice.

He said his party would fight peacefully for the rights of Muslims and Christians and would achieve the goal. The party had been demanding reservation by categorising the oppressed sections into five compartments.

Briefing newspersons on the resolutions of the conference, PMK President G K Mani said they wanted the Sachar Committee recommendations to be implemented at the national and state level.

Demanding adequate reservation to the Scheduled Castes in the Judiciary, he said the quota for Scheduled Caste communities of 'Devendras', 'Adi dravidars', and 'Arundadhiyars' in the state sould also be increased.

The conference demanded the filling up of vancanies meant for these communities in the government departments, free house site 'pattas' for the oppressed and prioritised house allocation for them under group housing scheme.

The conference urged the government to constitute a Christian Welfare Board to ensure their preferential participation in education and jobs.

UNI