The Hindu : Make informed choice, says Karunanidhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Make informed choice, says Karunanidhi

By R.K. Radhakrishnan

The DMK president, M. Karunanidhi, campaigning at Walajabad on Monday. — Photo: K. Pichumani

KANCHEEPURAM, MARCH 22. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president, M. Karunanidhi, today began his campaign tour from near the Slum Clearance Board headquarters in Chennai - the same spot from where the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, began her electioneering - and called upon people to vote for the DMK combine to ensure all-round development and prevent communal forces from disrupting their lives.

Throughout his seven-hour tour, punctuated by a dozen stops, he dwelt on region-specific issues and asked the people to make an informed choice in the Lok Sabha elections.

In Chennai, he listed the many development works, including mini-flyovers, the new mofussil bus stand and the Koyambedu market complex, initiated by the DMK Government and the DMK-majority Chennai Corporation Council between 1996 and 2001. He said the present Government did not even have a workable scheme to provide water supply. But when the DMK was in power the people never faced such an acute crisis. The DMK Government anticipated and catered for their needs.

Now the lack of a plan was evident in how the Jayalalithaa Government was handling the water crisis, Mr. Karunanidhi said. He questioned the need for revival of the Veeranam scheme, which the DMK Government had given up in 1976 as unviable. Despite the promises made by the Jayalalithaa Government, there was no scheme to ensure availability of drinking water to all in the city.

At Padappai, Mr. Karunanidhi told the people that it was the DMK Government, which provided them cement-concrete roads. It had also given local bodies greater functional freedom and finances. The All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Government had given up road-laying till now. What were now being laid were "election roads" which would develop potholes in a short while. Besides, various schemes in operation in local bodies had been either curtailed or suspended since the Jayalalithaa Government assumed power.

Mr. Karunanidhi held Ms. Jayalalithaa responsible for the problems faced by farmers in the Cauvery delta area and said it was because the Chief Minister spoke derogatorily about her counterparts in the neighbouring States that they refused to even consider Tamil Nadu's request for water.

At Kancheepuram, the DMK chief focussed on the "pro-Hindu attitude and actions" of the AIADMK Government. Citing examples, he said Christians and Muslims conducted prayer meetings on the Marina for prayer meetings. These were now banned. But why was the Vinayaka Chaturthi procession, which every year culminated on the Marina, not banned? A Government should treat all religions as equal. The failure to do so and the bringing in of legislation to prevent forced conversions were proof enough of the "communal outlook of the AIADMK Government".

It was after watching the "communal shift of the AIADMK" that some elements in the Sangh Parviar decided that Ms. Jayalalithaa was a better ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Mr. Karunanidhi said. That was why the BJP joined hands with the AIADMK. It was time the people realised this and voted against the combine.

J. Anbazhagan, south Chennai district secretary, said the police accorded permission for commencement of Mr. Karunanidhi's tour from near Kamarajar Salai in the city as they did not have any option.

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