Chennai, Oct 31 (IANS) The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has welcomed the Tamil Nadu Cabinet’s decision to constitute a commission for a social justice survey, while urging the government to convene an all-party meeting before the panel begins its work.
In a statement, the party’s state executive committee said consultations with political parties would help the commission fulfil its mandate and ensure that the exercise provides a comprehensive assessment of social and economic conditions across Tamil Nadu.
The Cabinet has decided to conduct the state-level survey after the Union government completes its Census. A commission comprising retired High Court judges and Indian Administrative Service officers will be constituted to undertake the exercise, according to the statement.
Welcoming the move, the CPI(M) said political parties in Tamil Nadu, barring the Bharatiya Janata Party, had long pressed for such an enumeration. The Cabinet decision, it said, responded to a demand that had remained an important part of the state’s political discussions on social justice.
However, the party stressed that the government should make public the complete details of the proposed commission, including its terms of reference. Clarity on these aspects would help explain the scope of the exercise and the responsibilities entrusted to the panel.
The state executive committee said an all-party meeting before the commission commences its activities would provide an opportunity for consultations on the proposed survey. Such discussions, it argued, would help the panel achieve the objectives for which it is being established.
The party emphasised that the exercise should comprehensively identify the social and economic circumstances of the population. Its findings should subsequently serve as the basis for measures aimed at advancing both social and economic justice.
Linking the survey to subsequent government action, the CPI(M) said a thorough understanding of prevailing conditions would help shape measures to address the issues identified through the exercise. It therefore called for consultations at the outset, alongside disclosure of the commission’s mandate. The statement combined support for the Cabinet’s decision with a demand for transparency and wider political participation in the preparatory process.
The party maintained that these steps would contribute to the commission fully meeting its intended purpose. Reiterating its appeal, the CPI(M) state executive committee urged the Tamil Nadu government to convene an all-party meeting on the issue before the commission starts work.
–IANS
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