Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai
Chennai, Mar 9: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has launched a nationwide political outreach to oppose the Union government’s proposed delimitation exercise.
At a high-level meeting of DMK MPs at the party headquarters ‘Anna Arivalayam,’ Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief M K Stalin charted out a strategy to mobilise regional parties against the move. Key ministers have been assigned to visit various states to build a united front, urging parties to form a joint action committee to scrutinise the implications of delimitation.
State IT minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan will engage with Kerala, while ministers EV Velu, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, and TRB Rajaa will visit Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Odisha, respectively. Meanwhile, DMK MPs in Delhi have been directed to join forces with opposition lawmakers to challenge the proposal in parliament.
The DMK has been vocal against the delimitation exercise, viewing it as an attempt to reduce Tamil Nadu’s political influence. The party also continues its opposition to the Union government’s three-language policy, which it sees as a push to impose Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking states.
With the upcoming parliament session, DMK is set to raise multiple concerns, including the delay in MGNREGA fund allocation, denial of flood relief, and the withholding of Samagra Shiksha scheme funds due to Tamil Nadu’s rejection of the National Education Policy (NEP).
The move comes amid growing criticism from opposition parties, including Vijay’s Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), over DMK MPs’ performance in Parliament. Seeking to counter these attacks, Stalin has also criticised the Union government’s fund allocation for language development. He pointed out the disparity in funding, citing that Tamil, spoken by eight crore people, received only Rs 74 cr, while Sanskrit, with a significantly smaller number of speakers, was allotted Rs 1,488 cr.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu’s opposition to the language policy has found resonance overseas, with Tamil diaspora members in Dallas, US, staging protests. Expressing solidarity, Stalin shared a video of the demonstration with the hashtag #VazhgaTamil.
The DMK’s aggressive stance on both delimitation and language policies underscores its commitment to protecting Tamil Nadu’s linguistic and political identity.