On b'day eve, Stalin calls for unity against Hindi imposition, delimitation

Chennai: Chief minister M K Stalin on Friday turned the eve of his 72nd birthday celebration into an occasion to sound the bugle for a united fight against Hindi imposition and delimitation of Lok Sabha seats.

Addressing ‘Thalapathy 72’, an event to celebrate his birthday that falls on Saturday, Stalin called upon all political parties in the state, including BJP’s Tamil Nadu unit, to unite in the fight against Hindi imposition and the proposed delimitation exercise.

“Prime Minister, please don’t impose Hindi. We are good with Tamil and English. Tamil Nadu has flourished because of the two-language policy. If needed, we will learn any language, even Greek and Latin,” said Stalin.

He criticised Modi for failing to give an assurance like former Prime Minister A B Vajpayee did by saying the exercise would not be based on the current population. Stalin said if TN failed to put together a united opposition to Hindi imposition and delimitation, it would be detrimental to the growth of the state.

“We must fight this battle for the future of our children. Failing to resist these moves will strip us of our identity. Let us unite to protect Tamil Nadu’s rights,” he said. Stalin accused Union govt of using financial threats to coerce Tamil Nadu into accepting the National Education Policy (NEP).

“They felt it was because of education that TN stands at the top. So, they want to arrest that growth and hence introduced NEP,” Stalin said. When TN opposed NEP, Union govt held back funds meant for the salary of teachers, he said, hitting out at Dharmendra Pradhan. “Which rule says that NEP is a must? Does the Constitution say that states must accept the three-language policy,’’ he asked. Instead of condemning and stopping such threats, Modi remains a silent spectator, he said. “Is this appropriate for a Prime Minister?”

“But we are not AIADMK to be cowed down by such threats. We are people who will make those who issue threats to fall in line,” Stalin said. Pradhan’s name carries the word ‘dharmam’ (righteousness), but his actions do not, he said.

Stalin said he was happy about AIADMK’s decision to participate in the all-party meeting he convened on March 5 to discuss NEP and delimitation. He urged Tamil Nadu’s BJP unit as well to support the initiative. “I want to tell the Tamil Nadu BJP to stand with the state,” he said.

Later, in his birthday message to partymen, Stalin said imposition of Hindi is an issue of life and death for the state, while delimitation was about TN’s rights.

“While NEP has already left us without central funds for school education department, delimitation would affect our self-respect, social justice and social welfare programmes,” he said. “You should take this message to the people,’’ he said.

He said the delimitation exercise should not be done based on the current population as it would mean punishing the southern states which effectively implemented the population control measures. “TN and DMK will never accept such a move,” he said.