Firmly committed to social justice: Stalin

KANYAKUMARI: Social justice is the only 'first and last' goal of the Dravidian movementand the struggle for social justice would continue to go on, DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said here.

Addressing the completion of 200th year of the upper cloth revolution for dignity and justice here on Monday, Stalin listed out the social reforms initiated during the Justice Party regime in the British era including education for all and banning marriages of children.

Referring to injustices heaped on many sections of the society and discriminatory practices in the name of religion, caste and puranas, he said nothing changed on its own.

It was due to the work of several reformist leaders including Ayya Vaikundar, he said. Towards complete social justice, the struggle would continue, he asserted.

The upper cloth revolution is a valorous struggle in the annals of Tamil Nadu's struggle for social justice, he said.

In the then princely State of Travancore (now Kanyakumari district), women who belonged to an oppressed caste were not allowed to wear upper cloth to cover their chest. Those who tried to cover themselves with clothes were tortured and even a tax was imposed, he said.

''Could there be injustice more than this,'' Stalin asked. A woman, who did not pay tax, cut off her breasts and today that is a place of worship, the Chief Minister said.

The upper cloth revolution in the early 19th century in the State of Travancore was against the practice of women who belong to an oppressed caste not being allowed to wear upper cloth to cover their chests.

Recalling setting up of a large number of schools during former Chief Minister K Kamaraj's Congress regime, Stalin said similarly, primacy was accorded to education for all castes by former CMs, C N Annadurai and M Karunanidhi.

The 'Dravidian model' government led by him is all about uplifting people from all communities (socially, politically and economically) and the government ensures importance to higher education and research.

The Tamil Nadu CM conveyed his desire to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan that both the state governments should come together to celebrate the centenary of the Vaikom movement.