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Chennai, Oct 26 (IANS) PMK leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss hailed the Stalin government’s decision to withdraw the controversial Tamil Nadu Private Universities (Amendment) Bill, calling it a “victory of social justice” and a “people’s movement against commercialization of education”.
In a strongly worded statement, Anbumani said the DMK government was forced to withdraw the bill following widespread protests from academics, social justice activists, professor associations and political parties.
“The DMK government, which stood against social justice, has now bowed before it,” he said.
The bill, introduced in the Assembly on October 15, sought to allow private self-financing and conversion of government-aided colleges into private universities.
Anbumani said the proposal would cause “irreparable damage” to the education system and social equality in Tamil Nadu.
“On October 16, I had issued a detailed statement highlighting how the amendment will commercialize education, destroy social justice and deprive the poor of higher education,” he said, adding that despite the objections, the government hastily passed the bill through voice vote without discussion on October 17.
Anbumani alleged that the bill aims to serve the interests of wealthy private institutions. “Had there been no protest, the DMK government would have converted all private colleges into universities and allowed them to charge exorbitant fees,” he alleged.
He warned that the amendment would end reservations in engineering, arts and science courses (except medicine), stop government aid to aided colleges, drastically increase tuition fees and withdraw salaries and benefits to employees in aided institutions.
“This will turn colleges into corporate institutions and lakhs of poor students will be deprived of affordable education,” he said.
The PMK leader accused the DMK government of trying to mislead the public even while going back on its word.
“The government is now pretending that the bill was introduced with good intentions, but people can clearly see its deception,” he said.
Anbumani reminded that the DMK had earlier brought several laws against social justice and environmental protection, including the Tamil Nadu Land Consolidation (Special Scheme) Act 2023.
He said, “Withdrawal of this bill is an admission of crime. The people of Tamil Nadu will not forgive such betrayals and will give their verdict in the next assembly elections.”
–IANS
AL/DPB