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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday alleged that the BJP-led union government paid mere lip service to Tamil language for the sake of votes and dubbed the ruling party at the Centre as Tamil's "enemy." Writing to party workers as part of his series on the theme of "all-time opposition to Hindi imposition," Stalin recalled DMK founder leader C N Annadurai's views on the issue. Decades ago, Anna had said that the party's objective is not to oppose Hindi, but to get equal recognition to Indian languages including Tamil. While the BJP claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi held Tamil in high esteem and that the 3-language formula is for the growth of languages of the states, the difference in allocation of funds for Tamil and Sanskrit would make it pretty clear that they are "enemies" of Tamil, Stalin alleged. As per the Union Education ministry's data, during the period between 2014 and 2023, the union government allotted Rs 2,435 crore to the Central Sanskrit Universit
Targeting the BJP-led Centre over alleged Hindi imposition, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M K Stalin on Tuesday wondered why the union government has not facilitated setting up of an institution to teach Tamil or other south Indian languages to people of states in north India. Writing to party workers as part of his series on the theme of "all-time opposition to Hindi imposition" Stalin said, Google Translate, Chat GPT and Artificial Intelligence help people overcome language issues and it would be beneficial for students to learn only necessary technology and imposing a language shall only be a burden to them. The DMK chief said Gandhiji believed that people of southern states learning Hindi and those in northern states learning one of the southern languages would pave the way for national unity and the Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha was founded to fulfil the wish of Father of the nation. "Gandhi himself had taken part in programmes in the sabha's headquarters in
Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday accused Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan of "blackmail" for allegedly taking a stand that Tamil Nadu would not be provided funds till such time it accepted the National Education Policy (NEP) and the three language formula. Tagging a video clip of Pradhan speaking to reporters in Varanasi on February 15, Stalin, in a post on 'X' quoted Pradhan as saying that Tamil Nadu has to come to the terms of the Indian Constitution and that the three languagae policy is the rule of law. Accusing Pradhan of "blackmail" for his alleged stand that Tamil Nadu would not be provided education related funds by the Centre till such time the state accepted the three language policy, the Chief Minister termed it as unacceptable, and Tamil people would not tolerate it. The state sought its due, from the Centre which is its right and if the central minister spoke arrogantly as if the state claimed his personal wealth, then, in that case, Delhi would have to ..
Wondering if it was enough if Tamil Nadu remained only on India map but not figure in the Union Budget, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday slammed the Centre with his halwa' jibe, a Tamil expression of the sweet delicacy to mean deception. During his visit to this southern district, the Chief Minister said Tirunelveli was known for its world famous sweet: halwa. But the Centre's halwa being given to the states is all the more famous, Stalin said strongly criticising the BJP-led government for allegedly not allocating funds to the Tamil Nadu. Speaking at a state government event here, he said the December 2023 unprecedented rain ravaged Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari and Thoothukudi districts. Though two Central Ministers visited the flood-hit areas, they didn't facilitate any relief to Tamil Nadu, he claimed. Pointing to the BJP legislator Nainar Nagendran, Stalin said he should not get offended if he (CM) faulted the Centre on fund allocation. Nainar Nagendran knows everything
Tamil Nadu made sincere efforts in 2024 to realise its USD 1 trillion economy dream by 2030 as the ruling DMK government secured some big ticket investments and rolled out sector-specific policies, among others. Measures regarding ease of doing business were also announced by the State government. The DMK government conducted its maiden Global Investors Meet (GIM) in 2024. The year 2024 also witnessed the changing of hands at one of the city's iconic cement company, The India Cements Ltd. Billionaire Kumar Mangalam Birla promoted UltraTech Cement announced the acquisition of the decades old, city-headquartered company, promoted by noted industrialist N Srinivasan. The GIM in January fetched the government Rs 6.64 lakh crore investment commitments by several companies that would generate 26 lakh new jobs in the state. Some of the big ticket investments include Rs 16,000 crore by Vietnam-based VinFast to establish a manufacturing facility in southern Tuticorin district that would ...
Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday apprised the Centre of the arrest of 17 Tamil Nadu fishermen and seizure of their two boats by Sri Lanka and called for quick steps for their release and the boats as well. Stalin, writing to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, said that 17 fishermen from Rameswaram were arrested and their two mechanised fishing boats were seized by the Sri Lankan Navy on December 24, 2024. Also, Stalin brought to Jaishankar's notice, two separate incidents of attack on fishermen from Kodiyakkarai in Nagapattinam district by 6 unidentified Sri Lankan nationals on December 20. "In this outrageous incident, three out of six fishermen who sailed in two country crafts were injured and their belongings such as GPS equipment, VHF equipment, fishing net, mobile phone and their fish catch were robbed from their fishing boats by the attackers," the CM said in his letter. Such frequent arrests and attacks made the lives of fishermen, who depend solely on fishing in t
The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 11 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu for alleged maritime violation, and Chief Minister M K Stalin flagged the matter with the Centre on Saturday, seeking immediate steps for their release. One boat was also taken into custody. In a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Stalin said, "I am writing to you with grave concern regarding yet another incident of apprehension of fishermen from Tamil Nadu," on Friday. The fishermen were apprehended while fishing southeast of Kodiakarai in Nagapattinam district, he said. "I have repeatedly highlighted that such incidents are occurring at an alarming frequency. In 2024 alone, 324 fishermen and 44 boats were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy. The fishing community in Tamil Nadu continues to face immense hardships due to the recurrent arrests, which severely affect their means of subsistence," he said. Further, in the past two weeks, there have been a couple of instances of attacks on fishermen at se
A human rights activist since the 1980s, Oleg Orlov thought Russia had turned a corner when the Soviet Union collapsed and a democratically elected president became leader. But then Vladimir Putin rose to power, crushing dissent and launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Finally, the 71-year-old Orlov was himself thrown in prison for opposing the war. Freed last week in the largest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War, he was forced into exile -- just like the Soviet dissidents of his youth. In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday in Berlin, Orlov decried t he scale and severity of repressions under Putin, with people imprisoned for merely criticizing the authorities, something unseen since the days of dictator Josef Stalin. And he's vowing to continue his work to free the many political prisoners in Russia and keep their names in the spotlight. We're sliding somewhere into Stalin times, said Orlov, who at times showed signs of fatigue from a hectic schedul
DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday dismissed as 'rumours,' speculations that his son Udhayanidhi was being made deputy CM of the state and asserted he was healthy. Such rumours were being spread by those opposed to the January 21 DMK Youth Wing Conference in Salem, to be held under its chief Udhayanidhi, Stalin said. At a time when youth across the state were getting ready for the Salem conference, those engaged in rumour-mongering "spread false information about my health," he said in a Pongal greetings message. He said he had attended an event here on Friday where he had mentioned that he had nothing to worry about when the people of the state were happy. "I am healthy and cheerful. I am working, working, working," the 70 year-old leader added. "After this lie was shattered, rumours were being spread with an intention to create sensation, that deputy CM post (for Udhayanidhi) was going to be given," he added. Udhayanidhi himself had responded to
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Sunday said NEET was imposed on Tamil Nadu, "destroying" its medical infrastructure, and asserted that the state will get itself exempted, with public support. Virtually addressing the 4th state conference of the Doctors' Association for Equality (DASE), Stalin recalled the many suicides of medical aspirants in the state allegedly over the National Entrance-cum-Eligibility Test, which was "imposed" on Tamil Nadu to "destroy the medical infrastructure" created in the state. "We have embarked on a legal struggle to ensure NEET exemption. Some may say with arrogance, even some in (official) positions may say that NEET exemption is not possible. (But) NEET exemption is our aim and it will happen with public support," Stalin said. An anti-NEET signature campaign initiated by the DMK's youth wing, student wing and medical wing has become a "people's movement," Stalin, who is also the ruling party president, added. The Tamil Nadu government has, mor
An FIR was registered here against DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge for allegedly outraging religious feelings, police said on Wednesday. Stalin was booked for his call to eradicate Sanatan Dharma and Kharge for backing his remark, they said. The two were booked under sections 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings) and 153 A (promoting enmity between different religious groups) of the IPC at Civil Lines Police Station here on Tuesday. The FIR came at the complaint of lawyers Harsh Gupta and Ram Singh Lodhi who highlighted media reports on Stalin's statement alleging that the politician's comments had hurt their feelings. Stalin had on Saturday during an event in Tamil Nadu compared the Sanatan Dharma with diseases like dengue and malaria. His comments sparked a backlash from political parties, with BJP insisting on the Congress to condemn his remarks.
Under the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana, during 2023-24, a target has been fixed to set up 10,000 new Self-Help Groups, Tamil Nadu Chief M K Stalin said here on Wednesday. Chairing the state-level, third District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) meeting here, Stalin said under the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana--National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), 10,000 new SHGs would be set up during 2023-24 with objectives including social mobilisation and Rs 15 crore fund has been allocated. For 5,000 SHGs, a Community Investment Fund of Rs 75 crore and for 3,000 village poverty eradication sangams, Rs 7.50 crore fund for poverty alleviation has been earmarked. For purposes including providing basic training for members of the new 10,000 SHGs, Rs 3.30 crore has been set apart and for goals including financial management-refresher courses for 12,287 village level federations and similar 388 units at block level, Rs 24.96 crore has been allocated. The Chief Minister urge