Chennai: At a meeting led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin Wednesday, state party leaders agreed to form a joint action committee (JAC) comprising representatives from all southern states to address concerns over the proposed delimitation of parliamentary constituencies.
It was also decided at the meeting that Stalin, leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), would reach out to other parties and chief ministers of southern states to seek their representation in the JAC.
Hours before the all-party meeting, Stalin also raised the issue of imposition of Hindi in Tamil Nadu. In a post on X, he asked the BJP-led central government to make Tamil the official language along with Hindi and allocate more funds for Tamil than “a dead language like Sanskrit”.
“Rather than installing Sengol in Parliament, uninstall Hindi from Union Government offices in Tamil Nadu. Instead of hollow praise, make Tamil an official language on par with Hindi and allot more funds for Tamil than a dead language like Sanskrit,” he wrote.
If the BJP’s claim that our Hon’ble PM has great love for Tamil is true, why is it never reflected in action?
🎯Rather than installing Sengol in Parliament, uninstall Hindi from Union Government offices in Tamil Nadu. Instead of hollow praise, make Tamil an official language on… pic.twitter.com/4Yppzj1N4N
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 5, 2025
Preparing for the 2026 Tamil Nadu assembly elections, Stalin has already unified all political parties in the state, except for the BJP and its partners, on the delimitation issue, and now, through the JAC resolution, he has intensified efforts to garner support across all southern states under his leadership.
At the meeting, Stalin said the delimitation exercise was not just a concern about numbers, but about the rights of Tamil Nadu. He said that the state was seeking assurance that any change in the total number of MPs in Parliament will be based on the 1971 population census ratio, ensuring Tamil Nadu is not penalised for controlling its population since then.
“I request all the political parties and leaders to join hands for this important issue that the Tamil Nadu government is to face. I request each one of you to speak out beyond party lines. If delimitation is done based on the population (state’s population now), it would reduce the representation of Tamil people,” he said.
In the meeting held at Namakkal Kavignar Hall of the State Secretariat, the political parties unanimously resolved that the current freeze on delimitation based on the 1971 population should be extended beyond 2026.
The Tamil Nadu government had extended invitations to all political parties of the state. Of the 63 invited, 58 political parties participated in the meeting.
BJP and its allies Puthiya Tamilagam led by K. Krishnasamy, Tamil Maanila Congress led by G.K. Vasan, Puthiya Needhi Katchi led by A.C. Shanmugam, and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) did not participate in the all-party meeting.
Reacting to Stalin’s post on Sanskrit, BJP state vice-president Narayanan Thirupathy questioned why Sanskrit was declared as a classical language when the DMK was part of the UPA alliance in power at the Centre.
“If the DMK shares power at the Centre, Sanskrit is alive and now since DMK is in the opposition alliance, is Sanskrit a dead language?” he asked, speaking to ThePrint.
Also Read: Our blood boils when we sense danger to Tamil. Love for mother tongue is Godliness: CN Annadurai
Parties express different concerns
Extending his full support to the JAC and resolution against the proposed delimitation exercise, former AIADMK minister D. Jayakumar, who participated in the meeting, demanded that the existing 7.2 percent representation for Tamil Nadu in Parliament should not be reduced in the delimitation process.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader Thol Thirumavalavan expressed concern over the shattering of Dalits and minority votes in the process of delimitation.
“It should be ensured that no such thing happens in the guise of delimitation,” he demanded at the meeting, adding that all states should have equal representation of MPs just like it is followed in the US.
Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader Anbumani Ramadoss also expressed his support for the state government initiative and appealed to Stalin to personally meet the CMs of southern states and coordinate them under one umbrella to fight against the proposed delimitation.
Referring to the BJP, its allies and NTK, Dravidar Kazhagam leader K. Veeramani said those parties which had boycotted the all-party meeting should realise that delimitation was not the issue of one party, but of the whole state.
Meanwhile, actor-turned politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam sent general secretary N. Anand for the all-party meeting. However, minutes before the meeting began, Vijay released a statement against the delimitation process.
“It would be a punishment for Tamil Nadu and the southern states if the Union Government reduced the number of Lok Sabha constituencies. At the same time, it also should not increase the number of Lok Sabha constituencies in the Northern States, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” he said in his statement.
Stalin lashes out at Hindi
Hours before the meeting, Stalin demanded that the Centre stop wasting the money on “Hindi Pakshwadas” in Tamil Nadu.
“Stop wasting taxpayers’ money on the nonsense of ‘Hindi Pakhwadas’ in Tamil Nadu. End the absurdity of imposing Sanskrit names like Antyodaya, Tejas and Vande Bharat on Tamil Nadu’s trains. Revert to the practice of naming them in Tamil, like Chemmozhi, Muthunagar, Vaigai, Malaikottai, Thirukkural Express, etc.,” he said on X.
He also took a dig at the central government over “attempts to saffronise (Tamil poet) Thiruvalluvar”.
“Stop the desperate attempts to saffronise Thiruvalluvar and declare his timeless classic, Thirukkural, as India’s National Book. Quoting Kurals (Tamil classical text by Thiruvalluvar) during the Union Budget will not cut it. Honour them by ensuring special schemes, a prompt disaster relief fund, and new railway projects for Tamil Nadu,” he added.
On Tuesday as well, the CM took to X, asking BJP to stop the imposition of Hindi.
“A century has passed since the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha was set up to make South Indians learn Hindi. How many Uttar Bharat Tamil Prachar Sabhas have been established in North India in all these years?” he questioned.
A century has passed since the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha was set up to make South Indians learn Hindi.
How many Uttar Bharat Tamil Prachar Sabhas have been established in North India in all these years?
Truth is, we never demanded that North Indians must learn Tamil or… pic.twitter.com/mzBbSja9Op
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) March 4, 2025
Asserting that Tamil people never demanded that North Indians learn Tamil or any South Indian language to “preserve” them, Stalin wrote: “All we ask is to #StopHindiImposition on us. If BJP-ruled states want to teach 3 languages or even 30, let them! Just leave Tamil Nadu alone!”
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Also Read: Political row over Hindi is good for Stalin and BJP, not Tamils
