Even as the Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi (VCK) conference here on ‘bettering education opportunities’ for Dalits took off with gusto on Sunday evening, party founder Thol. Thirumavalavan said the attempt by the government to deny permission for the meet was nothing but an act of oppression.
“The police and the government made every possible attempt to stall the VCK from holding the conference, but we won the issue legally [in the Madras High Court],” he declared, adverting to the dramatic developments in Chennai just a few hours earlier when the court declined to allow the State’s plea for vehicular restrictions for the meeting.
Braving the heavy downpour, hundreds of VCK cadre poured in from different parts of the State since morning. Later, elated by the High Court order in their favour, their enthusiasm soared as they arrived in large numbers hailing Mr. Thirumavalavan.
Notwithstanding the VCK’s celebratory mood, elaborate and stringent security arrangements made by the police — vehicles were checked right from Namakkal and beyond some 70 km away from here and on the Salem-Bangalore National highway —, since last night, “helped in maintaining total peace in the district,” a top police source said.
Mr. Thirumavalavan said the conference was not only to seek education rights for the people belonging to the Dalit community, but also for the entire downtrodden and depressed sections who were continuously denied education.
He urged the government to take steps to provide free education to all from primary school to doctoral research level.
Sinthanai Selvan, VCK leader, and leaders from other fraternal organisations, including Suba Veera Pandian, participated in the conference. A key resolution adopted at the meeting urged the State to implement the “Right to Education Act’ in toto. Other resolutions passed included making Tamil a compulsory medium of instruction in elementary schools and steps to check commercialisation of education.
