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The Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) has accused the Vijay-led Tamil Nadu government of “erasing history” after references to social reformer Periyar EV Ramasamy, BR Ambedkar and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru were omitted from the latest policy note of the Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Department.
The VCK has demanded that Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay immediately intervene and have the references restored.
The controversy erupted over the section “History of Reservation” in the department’s policy explanatory note, which was released ahead of the Assembly debate on its demands for grants. The corresponding section in the 2024 policy note, released by the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government, had referred to the contributions of Periyar, Ambedkar and Nehru to the development of reservation and social justice in Tamil Nadu. It had also mentioned the role of Justice Party.
According to the 2024 note, the Supreme Court had struck down the Communal Government Order on reservations in 1951. It said protests and condemnation meetings led by Periyar in Tamil Nadu against the judgement contributed to the introduction of Article 15(4) through the First Constitutional Amendment. The amendment, spearheaded by Nehru and Ambedkar enabled the government to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes.
The corresponding section has been omitted from the latest policy note tabled in the Assembly on Thursday. The reference to the Justice Party’s contribution to Tamil Nadu’s social justice movement has also been dropped.
VCK general secretary Sinthanai Selvan criticised the omission and said history should not be rewritten or erased for political convenience.
“History cannot be written or erased to suit political convenience. The journey of social justice is not a list of achievements of one government or one party. It is the history of struggles across generations. It is the duty of the government to record that history fully and truthfully,” Selvan said.
He urged CM Vijay to intervene and identify those responsible for what he described as the “historical erasure”.
“I cannot attribute this to the fault of the Honourable Minister. They are newly in office. I am well aware that the department's Principal Secretary and the Chief Secretary guiding them bear responsibility for this,” he said.
The VCK leader demanded that the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary of the department provide an explanation and apologise for the omission.
The issue has drawn particular attention because the TVK government has repeatedly invoked Periyar’s principle of Ellarkkum Ellam (Everything for Everyone) while projecting itself as committed to social justice. On Friday, Social Justice Minister V Sampath Kumar, responding to the debate on the demands for grants in the Assembly, said the foundation of the TVK government was based on Periyar’s core ideology of “Everything for Everyone”.