USE: Allies urge government to accept HC verdict

CHENNAI: Political parties, including AIADMK’s allies CPI and CPM, on Monday urged the State government to accept the verdict of the Madras High Court for the continuation of Uniform School Education from this year onwards and not challenge the same before the Supreme Court.Meanwhile, the State Cabinet, which met a couple of hours after the verdict, had reportedly discussed the HC verdict.DMK president M Karunanidhi said the AIADMK government should not deem the verdict as a defeat; instead, it should treat this as a guidance from the court for the future generation of the State. He said the verdict was a boon for the students belonging to poor and middle class.On the State government’s decision to go on an appeal, Karunanidhi said even when the scheme was being evolved during the DMK regime, it faced such oppositions but ultimately, the SC had accepted the scheme. Welcoming the verdict, CPM State secretary G Ramakrishnan said the State government should give up its plan to go on an appeal as such a move would further trouble the students, teachers and parents.  The government should accept the verdict and implement the USE from this year onwards, he added.CPI State secretary D Pandian said the government should implement the USE without any further delay. Since the court verdict had not found any fault with the move of the State government, appeal before the SC should be avoided, he said.PMK founder S Ramadoss said the government should give up its adamant attitude with regard to the USE since safeguarding the interests of the people would be of paramount importance to a good government than adopting a stubborn stand and implement the USE from this year onwards. VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan expressed similar views on this issue.TNCC president KV Thangkabalu said the State should not take the USE as a prestige issue and implement the system from this year.