Centre Misusing Investigative Agencies And Governors: Udhayanidhi Stalin

Attacking the BJP for trying to "impose" Hindi through the National Education Policy, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin has said the language has made many others nearly disappear, and the DMK will continue to raise its voice against the move. 

Speaking at the NDTV Tamil Nadu Summit on Friday, the DMK leader said the Dravidian model championed by his party is the path that India needs to take to become a stronger nation.   

Elections in Tamil Nadu are expected to be held soon and the deputy chief minister framed it as a battle between the Dravidian ideology and "the fascist force".

"Dravidian ideology is not divisive. It is, in fact, the opposite. Dravidian ideology is rooted in inclusivity. It stands for unity through equality, not unity through dominance... Just as Mumbai is the financial capital of India and Delhi is the administrative capital of India, now Tamil Nadu is the social justice capital of India," Stalin said 

Criticising the policies of the Centre, the DMK leader continued, "For instance, Tamil Nadu is relatively more urbanised, more industrialised (than other states). So our requirements are different from those of other states. The opinions of state governments are often not sought or not considered while framing the schemes and policies at the national level."

Segueing to the National Education Policy and the three-language policy, which has led to the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the Union government being at loggerheads, Stalin alleged that it was an attempt to "indirectly impose" Hindi and Sanskrit on the state.  

"Hindi imposition is not a threat only to Tamil Nadu. Hindi has already made many languages almost disappear in the northern states of India. That's why when our party leader, the Honourable chief minister, firmly raised his voice against Hindi imposition, it resonated far beyond our state," he stressed. 

'Undermining States'

Taking aim at the Centre again, the deputy chief minister claimed Tamil Nadu is yet to receive Rs 3,500 crore in education funds, and even money for relief during natural calamities is not being released. The DMK government, he said, has taken welfare policies to "unprecedented heights" in spite of all of this. 

"Unfortunately, the Union Government today is centralising power, misusing investigative agencies and governors and causing a lot of trouble to states. They are using governors to undermine democratically elected governments," he alleged. 

"Their agenda is one country, one culture, one language, one dress, one (kind of) food and one election. The BJP doesn't want the states to exist. They want to establish puppet governments in all states, so that they can remote-control them from Delhi. Their plan is to reduce state governments to the status of municipal corporations. If all the powers are centralised in Delhi, do you think it is good for the country? Will it make India a stronger country? Definitely not," he thundered. 

Highlighting the state's achievements under the Dravidian model, the DMK leader said Tamil Nadu's per capita income is 1.74 times higher than the national average and while 11.12% of India's population lives below the poverty line, the figure is only 1.43% for the state. Tamil Nadu, he said, is aiming to become a trillion-dollar economy by 2030. 

"At this juncture, let me declare, at this conclave, whatever methods the BJP takes to capture Tamil Nadu, the DMK, under the leadership of our Honourable Chief Minister MK Stalin, will definitely defeat the fascist forces and emerge victorious in the upcoming Assembly elections. For us, 'Samadharma' stands above all. 'Samadharma' stands for a society where everyone is equal, where justice guides governance, and caste-based discrimination has no place," he said. 

"As the nation awakens to the power of the Dravidian ideology, rooted in social justice, state rights and self-respect, India will rise stronger than ever. Strong states, dignified people, equal opportunities - this is the Dravidian model, and this is the road to a stronger India," he emphasised.