Chief Minister launches ‘Ungaludan Stalin' initiative across Tamil Nadu
After launching the State-wide Ungaludan Stalin (Stalin with you) initiative and inaugurating the memorial hall and statue of former Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president L. Elayaperumal, a prominent leader who belonged to the Scheduled Caste, in Chidambaram, Mr. Stalin said the government has now removed the word 'colony' (indicating a habitation of SCs) from official records as it had come to symbolise oppression and carried the connotation of untouchability.
As part of these efforts, the government has also removed caste markers and renamed all hostels being run by various departments of the Tamil Nadu government as 'Social justice hostels.' The journey to social liberation is a long one and will take time. But everything will change and Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin will make the change to reach the goals with the path shown by Elayaperumal., he said.
Mr. Stalin said political parties and leaders championing the policies and principles of Dr. Ambedkar, Karl Marx and Mahatma Gandhi were in one platform and any plan of the 'saffron power in Delhi' would not hold good against them.
On Elayaperumal
Paying rich tributes to Elayaperumal, Mr. Stalin said he was in the league of veteran leaders like Iyothee Thass Pandithar, Rettaimalai Srinivasan, M.C. Rajah, N. Sivaraj, L.C. Gurusamy, Swami Sagajanandar, among others who worked for social reforms in the society.
The late leader, who worked for the rights of Scheduled Caste community, was agitated on noticing 'two pot system' even during his school days and acted against it. Even after joining the army, he flagged the discrimination with superior officers and it was resolved, the Chief Minister said. Mr. Stalin recalled a report tabled by Elayaperumal in Parliament despite an attack on his office was the basis for the enactment of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
'Ungaludan Stalin' camps
Referring to the Ungaludan Stalin initiative, the Chief Minister said a total of 10,000 special camps will be organised across rural and urban areas from today. As many as 46 services from various departments will be made available at the camps. Besides, medical services will be provided at each camp
Mr. Stalin said trained volunteers will visit each household and inform people about the date and location of these camps. They will also explain the various government services being provided, the eligibility criteria and the documents required to avail the services. Women who are eligible but have been left out of the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai can submit their applications at the camp, he said.
Non-leather footwear manufacturing unit
The Chief Minister also announced that a non-leather footwear manufacturing unit would be set up at Kodukkanpalayam in Cuddalore district at an investment of ₹75 crore. The unit will provide employment for about 12,000 women from the district, he added.
Ministers M.R.K. Panneerselvam, K.N. Nehru, C.V. Ganesan, E.V. Velu, M.P. Saminathan, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi president and Chidambaram MP Thol. Thirumavalavan, MPs M.K. Vishnu Prasad and D. Ravikumar participated.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Deccan Herald
2 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Of Kamaraj and DMK-Cong alliance
Upon becoming chief minister, Kamaraj implemented transformative education policies deeply influenced by Dravidian ideals of social justice.
Deccan Herald
2 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
SIR rolls on in Bihar even as Opposition warns of voter erasure
Ever since the Election Commission on June 24 announced a comprehensive revision of the electoral roll in Bihar—also called the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)—there has been considerable outcry from the Opposition parties over the the Parliament session in New Delhi to the Bihar Vidhan Sabha session in Patna, the Opposition has staged protests against the SIR exercise, alleging that it is an attempt 'to disenfranchise lakhs of poor voters who cannot produce the requisite documents required to be submitted along with the enumeration forms (EFs).'.The deadline for submitting these forms is July 25. The Election Commission will then publish a draft electoral roll on August 1, after which the voters will have around one month to rectify any errors in their name, address, and mobile number. Once corrections are made, the EC will publish the final voters' list in September, which will also be digitised. A copy of the final roll will be provided to all registered political no one has questioned the intention behind the SIR drive—through which the Election Commission aims to clean the Augean Stables and weed out bogus voters—what sparked controversy was the EC's directive that Aadhaar, ration cards, and voters identity cards could not be submitted as supporting documents to be attached with enumeration was only when the Supreme Court of India, during its hearing on the matter earlier this month, made an oral observation that the EC reconsidered and included Aadhaar, permanent account number (PAN), and ration cards as valid documentary proof of identity that the furor over SIR somewhat EC eventually clarified that all genuine voters could submit their EFs to the booth-level officers (BLOs) even without documents (if they do not have them at the time), provided they submit the necessary documents at a later stage for verification. Around one lakh BLOs and thousands of booth-level agents (BLAs) have been working tirelessly to collect the EFs from Bihar's 7.9 crore July 21, the EC further clarified in its affidavit submitted to the apex court that it 'cannot accept Aadhaar as a valid document, as it is merely a proof of identity; there are a large number of fake ration cards in circulation; and relying on existing voter identity cards would render the special drive (conducted under Article 326 of the Constitution) futile.'.Despite the continuing standoff, the SIR drive in Bihar is proceeding at full pace. With the deadline to submit the enumeration forms fast approaching on July 25, the EC claims that nearly 97 per cent of the electorate has already been to EC sources, of Bihar's 78,969,844 voters, 52.3 lakh were found to be no longer residing at their registered addresses. Of these 52.3 lakh voters, 18.7 lakh were reported as deceased, around 26 lakh had permanently shifted, 7.5 lakh were enrolled in multiple locations, and 11,484 were marked 'not traceable.' 'Such voters will be weeded out to improve the integrity of the electoral roll,' an EC source as the SIR drive continues, which gained momentum after the Supreme Court refused to stay the EC's move, the Opposition remains deeply sceptical. Former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has written a letter to 35 political parties—including NDA allies such as TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, Chirag Paswan (LJP-R), Jitan Ram Manjhi (HAM), and Anupriya Patel (Apna Dal in UP), as well as opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar, Akhilesh Yadav, and others—registering his strong protest..'The farce and tragedy of the SIR going on in Bihar has shaken the very foundation of democracy through large-scale disenfranchisement. It is a clear indication of how the independent institution of the Election Commission is adamant on eroding public trust in the integrity of our electoral process,' Tejashwi wrote, adding that he was writing the letter in "a deep sense of anguish and urgency"..He further pointed out that the experience of Maharashtra was still fresh in people's minds and the EC had yet to respond to the concerns raised regarding the revision of voters' lists there..'Now it's Bihar's turn. This must be resisted in the strongest terms possible. Because if we do not raise our voices and register our strong protest, the same will be carried out in other states as well. The Constitution demands that we defend the republic. We should not be found wanting at this historical juncture,' said Tejashwi..'Despite the Opposition's concern, I believe the SIR should have been undertaken before the Lok Sabha elections and applied across the country. Secondly, the EC should have accepted Aadhaar as a valid document. After all, if they are accepting passports and bank passbooks—both linked to Aadhaar—then why not Aadhaar itself?" opined senior journalist Giridhar Jha, who has reported on Bihar for over three Supreme Court will hear the SIR matter afresh on July 28.
NDTV
4 hours ago
- NDTV
PM Modi Lands In UK, Long-Awaited Free Trade Deal Expected Today: 10 Points
The free trade agreement is India's first major bilateral trade agreement with a developed economy in over a decade. A 10-point cheat sheet on the free trade agreement to be signed by India and the UK The free trade agreement between India and the UK will be signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to London on July 24. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will accompany the prime minister. The two countries announced the conclusion of the negotiations for the trade agreement on May 6, after three years of negotiations. The trade agreement proposes to remove taxes on the export of labour-intensive products such as leather, footwear and clothing, while making imports of whisky and cars from Britain cheaper, in an effort to double trade between the two economies to USD 120 billion by 2030. After the free trade agreement is signed by the commerce ministers from both countries, it will require approval from the British Parliament before coming into effect, as the Indian cabinet has already given its consent to the deal. Britain is the sixth-largest investor in India with investments of around $36 billion. There are 1,000 Indian companies in the country, with 1,00,000 employees, with a total of $2 billion investment. 99% of Indian products will receive duty-free access to the UK market, covering nearly all of India's current trade value. Apart from the free trade agreement, the biggest the UK has done since leaving the European Union, the two sides also sealed a double contribution convention. It provides for exemption for employers of Indian workers from paying social security contributions in the UK. India's exports to the U.K. rose by 12.6% to $14.5 billion, while imports grew by 2.3% to $8.6 billion in 2024-25. The bilateral trade between India and the U.K. increased to $21.34 billion in 2023-24 from $20.36 billion in 2022-23. From London, PM Modi will travel to the Maldives at the invitation of President Mohamed Muizzu in what is being seen as a breakthrough in the ties between the two countries following a spell of frostiness under Mr Muizzu.
