Just before Tamil Nadu (and most of India) faced up to elect themselves a new parliament, we decided to get some of the most educated candidates in the fray — in this case, independent candidate, N Vikraman, who is PhD researcher — and pit them against student leaders, first time voters who aren't afraid to ask questions that most of us probably have, but simply won't deign to ask.
This is what transpired.
Babu Kumar: You are standing as a candidate in an SC constituency. If elected, what are your plans to uplift the community?
Vikraman: Yes, I am standing in Tiruvallur, an SC constituency. I think one of the main issues we face today, is that Dalit Christians are unable to avail the welfare schemes in place for them. They are still in the OBC category and I think this is unfair. So if I win, my first job will be to ensure they get the benefits they've been denied. I have been upset at the fact that they've not been allowed to access these schemes so far.
What will you do to ensure better education in the constituency?
Samacheer Kalvi is essential, everyone should get equal education, rich or poor. In Tiruvallur, there is Avadi, Ponneri, Madhavarum, Gumidipoondi, I want to ensure that every place has a free coaching centre. There should be coaching centre in place that will provide the same quality of education for students of both state and CBSE syllabus. Everyone should be provided with good quality and free coaching, the kind that is currently not available to them in government schools.
Today, NEET is a reality. Yet, privileged students still get in through management quota, while underprivileged state board suicides are committing suicide. What do you have to say about this?
Many leaders have devoted their lives to developing our society. They've struggled so hard. Ambedkar devoted his life to making the lives of Dalits better but now all that has gone down the drain. The BJP has undone all the work that leaders like Ambedkar have done for society. What does Modi know, anyway? What has he studied and what does he know about policy? Who is he? Eating what I want is my right. I eat beef, pork, mutton and eating that is my right. Modi travels all over the world, do I ask him what he ate? What I eat is my choice, what I wear is my choice. He has no right to tell what I should do, what I should study. Ambedkar did everything from ensuring education to jobs. So who is to say I don't deserve it?
Who is Modi to say the 100 rupee notes, 500 rupee notes are invalid. The RBI has the right to, not him. He is just an elected leader, that's all, it is not his right to say something is invalid. No one came from Pakistan, no one came from any other country. We were all born here and we have the right to stay here. And everyone should grow equally. See, take the body for example, the whole body should grow equally, that is progress. If just one part grows, that that's not progress, it is a disease. Modi is no one to tell us what we should and should not study.
