In the latest of such letters, Stalin writes,

“My dear sisters and brothers from other states, Ever wondered how many Indian languages Hindi has swallowed? Bhojpuri, Maithili, Awadhi, Braj, Bundeli, Garhwali, Kumaoni, Magahi, Marwari, Malvi, Chhattisgarhi, Santhali, Angika, Ho, Kharia, Khortha, Kurmali, Kurukh, Mundari and many more are now gasping for survival.

“The push for a monolithic Hindi identity is what kills ancient mother tongues. UP and Bihar were never just ‘Hindi heartlands.’ Their real languages are now relics of the past.

Tamil Nadu resists because we know where this ends. தமிழ் விழித்தது; தமிழினத்தின் பண்பாடு பிழைத்தது! சில மொழிகள் இந்திக்கு இடம் கொடுத்தன; இருந்த இடம் தெரியாமல் தொலைந்தன!

#தமிழ்_வாழ்க #LetterToBrethren
#StopHindiImposition #SaveIndianLanguages”

My dear sisters and brothers from other states,

Ever wondered how many Indian languages Hindi has swallowed? Bhojpuri, Maithili, Awadhi, Braj, Bundeli, Garhwali, Kumaoni, Magahi, Marwari, Malvi, Chhattisgarhi, Santhali, Angika, Ho, Kharia, Khortha, Kurmali, Kurukh, Mundari and… pic.twitter.com/VhkWtCDHV9

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) February 27, 2025

Tamil Nadu goes to the polls next year and this issue of autonomy, federalism and the Tamil language is going to dominate. Last week, in a fiery response to the union’s move on the National Education Policy (NEP), Chief Minister MK Stalin  claimed that this will push Tamil Nadu ‘backward by 2000 years.’ These moves reflect the deep-rooted resistance within the state against the Union government’s continued disregard for federalism and linguistic diversity. Stalin has further emphasised that the NEP, with its centralised approach, ignores the unique educational needs of each state and is a blatant effort to homogenise education across India.

Last week Stalin’s strong and principled opposition to the union government on the imposition of the National Education Policy (NEP) and its three language policy as also the withholding of state funds by the union also echoed on social media garnering widespread support.

This is what you call an Opposition! Bravo! @mkstalin https://t.co/am1ZuKwZvt

— Teesta Setalvad (@TeestaSetalvad) February 22, 2025

Related:

Rejecting NEP embodies Tamil Nadu’s fight for federal autonomy

The post ‘TN resists Hindi domination because we know where it ends, the extinguishing of ancient languages’: ML Stalin to DMK cadres appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Paying tribute to the messiah of social justice as VP Singh has been known, the life size statue is first one to be installed outside V P Singh’s native place, was unveiled in the presence of his family members and Akhilesh Yadav at Presidency College in Chennai. The statue was installed at a cost of ₹52 lakh.

While Tamil Nadu Congress leaders were conspicuous by their absence, Akhilesh Yadav’s presence is significant, considering that his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, then UP CM, had, in 1990, withdrawn support to V P Singh and backed Chandra Shekhar.

After the unveiling of the statue, Stalin, at a function held at Kalaivanar Arangam, said caste census should be conducted along with “the much-delayed” population census. “The reservation for backward classes, ST/ST and minorities should be properly implemented. To ensure that this is done across the country, an all-party MPs panel should be formed,” he said. Stalin also stated that all political movements interested in social justice should join hands to achieve this. Though the caste matrix differed in each state, the problems of boycott, discrimination, and untouchability remain the same.

Social justice was the answer and antidote to these problems and for social justice to thrive, these measures were crucial, Stalin noted. “We should convert the political programme aimed at the growth of SC/ST, OBCs and minorities into government policies,” he said.

Appreciating Stalin for installing the statue, Akhilesh Yadav said the gesture gave them strength to fight for the downtrodden. “This also translates into a message from Tamil Nadu to the leaders in New Delhi to remember that social justice should drive all policies,” he said. “The Samajwadi Party stands with DMK in its fight for social uplift…it’s a long road ahead and we will fight this together,” said the former UP chief minister.

Related:

This is the recognition of the Dravidian model: MK Stalin on DMK win

The Communalisation Project: The Tamil Nadu story

Rejection of Narayan Guru is a rejection of Indian Pluralism and Dissent

The post Stalin unveils statue of ex-PM, VP Singh, bats for national caste census to implement reservation appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is gathering praise for his proactive and inclusive 13-member Covid advisory panel. What is unusual about this panel is that it includes 12 opposition MLAs as well. A lesson in Covid-19 crisis management meets ‘good governance’ to borrow the Centre’s much used phrase, has been quietly delivered by the CM, who will chair the committee. The inclusion of the 12 opposition MLAs is a sign of the elected representatives coming together to work for the people, in this hour of crisis, and that too soon after a hotly contested election where they were on the opposite sides of the political divide.

The committee is tasked with meeting regularly, monitoring the Covid-19 graph in the state. The political melting pot is also a message to the common citizens that the state’s political leaders have chosen to rise above the traditional and bitter political rivalry, the ruling DMK and the AIADMK working togethers is perhaps a first milestone of its kind.

According to a report in India Today, the task force includes AIADMK leader and former health minister C Vijayabhaskar. He tweeted, “On being inducted into the multi-party advisory committee by Tamil Nadu government, I will support and be available for the government, with lessons learnt from the first Covid-19 wave to contain the virus spread and mitigation measures for easing the tough situation faced by our state.”

The multi-party advisory committee has been formed “in accordance with a resolution passed during an all-party meeting of the Covid crisis held on May 13,” stated the news report. Apart from the CM as the chairperson the committee comprises Dr Ezhilan (DMK), Dr C Vijayabhaskar (AIADMK), GK Mani (PMK), AM Manirathnam (INC), Nagar Nagendran (BJP), Susan Thirumalaikumar (MDMK), SS Balaji (VCK), T Ramachandran (CPI), Dr Jawaharullah (MMK), R Eeswaran (KMDK), T Velmurugan (TVK) Poovai Jagan Moorthy (PB) and Naagai Mali (CPM), reported IT.

A welcome sign of the times, Tamil Nadu has joined the league of states such as Maharashtra, and Kerala, where the chief ministers have been reviewing the Covid-19 situation in their states. These two CMs have been seen reaching out to experts, alerting the centre, often on social media, and regularly holding televised media briefings to share key policy decisions on Covid-19. In fact, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had asked the Union government to declare the pandemic as a “national calamity” in April.

A few days ago, for the second time, 12 Opposition party leaders, including four Chief Ministers, sent a joint letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking the Centre to procure vaccines from global and domestic sources and begin a free, universal mass vaccination campaign across the country. The letter was signed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda,  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI General Secretary D Raja, JKPA’s Farooq Abdullah, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav.

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The post Tamil Nadu: MK Stalin includes Opposition leaders in Covid-19 advisory committee appeared first on SabrangIndia.