MK Stalin Bats For Tamil Nadu-Like Front To Take On BJP At National Level

Slamming the BJP and the government led by it at the Centre, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday said unity in diversity is the nation's culture, but efforts aimed at 'eliminating' diversities and create a 'unitary' character were being made.

Accusing the Centre as 'power hungry', which misused the office of Governor in opposition ruled states and for making state governments to 'plead with the Centre' for funds, Stalin appealed to secular parties to emulate DMK's broad based coalition in Tamil Nadu and join hands at the national level to take on the BJP and usher in a truly federal India.

If India has to be protected, states should be first guarded and only if states are shielded, the nation could be safeguarded, Stalin said addressing the 23rd Party Congress of the ruling CPI(M). Some were changing the basic political norms, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said apparently hitting out at the BJP.

Underscoring the nation's diversity including those related to religion, food and languages, Stalin said 'unity in diversity is our culture'. However, efforts were being made to eliminate diversities and create a unitary character, he alleged.

The Chief Minister pointed to the BJP-led Centre's proposal like 'one nation, one election', and alleged that efforts were on towards a 'single education' system, a 'single religion, language and culture.' Stalin said a 'single' chorus was now being sung for everything. Mocking at the BJP, he said at this rate, the trend may extend towards a single party system and and though the BJP may be happy with it, nothing could be more dangerous to the country.

Given such a scenario, the BJP has to be opposed and the "Manilathil Suyathchi, Mathiyil Kootatchi", slogan is his party's voice against autocracy. The slogan could be roughly translated as autonomy for state and a share in power at the Centre. Also, it could mean a rightful place for states in Centre's policies and decision making process.

Stalin was invited by the ruling Marxist party to deliver an address on Centre-state relations.

The DMK president further said the nation's Constitution makers did not envisage a unitary structure of power but were for division of powers as reflected in features like the state, centre and concurrent lists. The Panchayati Raj Act bestowed the local bodies with rights and thus only if villages grew, the states and the nation could witness development.

Those at the Centre were however for wrecking both the villages and states, which is against the Constitution. The union government is extending its realm of power well beyond what has been given by the Constitution, Stalin alleged.

"The Britishers ruled India. Even they did not intend creating such a unitary structure of power (at the Centre). I openly accuse the BJP government of doing what even the British rulers did not do," he alleged.

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagat Singh, Stalin accused the Union government of betraying the people by making the state governments, which implement all the requisite schemes for the people, to plead with the Centre for funding.

He alleged that the ruling dispensation at the Centre was avenging the people by assuming that they were avenging the state governments.

On the GST front, Stalin said the states' revenue sources were usurped and the compensation too is not complete and even that was not allotted to states promptly.

"The funds for state governments are not at all disbursed. A sum of Rs 21,000 crore is due for Tamil Nadu alone," he said.

There were no proper debates in Parliament on key legislations and the 'power hungry' BJP government intends to bring even cooperative societies operating at the level of villages under its control.

Stalin also alleged the Centre was 'ruling' states through the office of Governor and this was against the Constitution. "Is it the rule of law to run a parallel government in opposition ruled states through Governors?.

He said the Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has put on hold as many as 11 Bills including the anti-NEET Bill, passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly. "What is the reason for him not clearing such Bills? Does he have powers more than the 8 crore people of the state.? When this was the case in opposition-ruled states, Stalin asked if democracy is functional in the country. The Centre came up with stumbling blocks if egalitarian principles are underscored and if schemes are formulated for the marginalised people.

Such a trend has to be fought in the people's court, through the legislatures and the judiciary and this is being done.

"To face such problems, we have to fight by bringing the states together and by setting up a forum. A panel of the Chief Ministers of southern states has to be formed. Later, a group of Chief Ministers of other states has to be set up separately." Stalin batted for Constitutional amendment to transform states into entities with increased powers and "for that, all of us have to join hands by transcending political boundaries." Pointing to a recent interview to PTI, Stalin said he had pointed to a united front of secular forces in Tamil Nadu that was founded, built and sustained on the basis of principles, going beyond mere electoral seat sharing. "All the parties should realise unity is strength. To protect India, all of us should join hands." The Chief Minister appealed to like minded opposition parties to join forces and come together on a single platform at the national level by eschewing political rancour. This is key to take on the BJP and protect India's values like, pluralism, democracy, social justice, secularism, equality, brotherhood and states' rights, he said adding this is the need of the hour.

Only if such parties came together, success could be achieved and that alone could ensure social justice, equality and secularism. "Let us fight for state autonomy, let us create a truly federal India".

The chief minister praised his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan as one who exemplified ideal administration of a state government and on the one hand he has the trait to fight for rights and on the other hand, he has visionary projects.

Without bothering about the Central government, Vijayan is helming the government extremely well, Stalin said.

Vijayan's handling of the coronavirus pandemic witnessed admiration and in that respect, Stalin said the Kerala Chief Minister was his pioneer.

Using Article 356 of the Constitution, an elected Kerala government steered by CPI(M) was dismissed in 1959, Stalin said adding it was a first of its kind instance. The DMK governments too were dismissed twice, first in 1976 and then in 1991 using that Constitutional provision. Hence, both Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the CPI(M) and DMK have all rights to speak on the Centre-State relationship, he said. PTI VGN SA SA

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)