Stalin plans front against bigotry

Chennai: DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday appealed to 37 political parties across the country including the Congress, arch rival AIADMK, Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Left parties and the Trinamool Congress to join the All India Federation for Social Justice to protect the interests of the oppressed people.

Writing to all key parties barring the BJP, Stalin said, “our unique, diverse, multicultural federation is under threat of bigotry and religious hegemony.” These forces could only be fought if all those who believe in equality, self-respect and social justice came together. It is hence not a question of political gain but “re-establishing the pluralistic identity of our republic, as visualised by our founding fathers,” he said.

The DMK chief recalled that he had on Republic Day announced the proposed launch of ‘All India Federation for Social Justice’ to establish a ‘common platform’ of all leaders, members of civil society and like-minded individuals and organisations to strive towards achieving the principles of federalism and social justice at the national level.

Social justice as an ideology is simple, “everything for everyone”. It is the belief that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities. Only by ensuring this equality of opportunity we can build the egalitarian society visualised by the framers of constitution, he said. (PTI)