Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday called upon law students to use their legal knowledge for the benefit of the poor, the downtrodden and the marginalised sections of the society.
Addressing a function to mark the silver jubilee of Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University at Perungudi near Chennai, Mr. Stalin called upon students to use their education for protecting the basic rights enshrined in the Constitution. "Not only legal rights, you should also act to protect social justice.. People need only justice now. You should be messengers of justice," he said.
Recalling how Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University got a space initially, Mr. Stalin said officials cited congestion at former CM Karunanidhi's residence at Gopalapuram and had recommended a bungalow 'Poompozhil' on Greenways Road to be his official residence. But, since the new law university was still looking for a space, Karunanidhi allocated 'Poompozhil' for the university, Mr. Stalin pointed out.
In 2008, the then DMK government under Chief Minister Karunanidhi allocated 15 acre in Perungudi for the expansion of the university. The following year too, a land was allocated for the law university in Tambaram, he recalled.
The law university was established when late Karunanidhi was the Chief Minister in 1997, he noted and said he took pride in taking part in the silver jubilee celebrations of the university.
Recalling efforts by Karunanidhi to rename the then Marathwada University in Maharashtra after Dr. Ambedkar, Mr. Stalin said the late leader had launched postcard campaign for naming the university after Dr. Ambedkar.
Only after the postcard campaign, then Maharashtra Governor P.C. Alexander and then CM Sharad Pawar had sent telegrams to the DMK leader that the university would be renamed accordingly, Mr. Stalin recalled.
