Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, on Monday, said educational institutions should treat every child as their own and impart education to them. Those institutions that acted otherwise would be brought to book and punished. Referring to the Kallakurichi incident, he said violence was against development.
Delivering his speech virtually in the ‘Tamil Nadu Day’ celebrations in Kalaivanar Arangam here, Mr. Stalin listed out his government’s achievements after coming to power. While his government was working towards ‘Everything for All,’ some “regrettable” incidents have taken place in Kallakurichi, he said.
“Educational institutions should treat every child as their own and teach them. I warn that any act other than this, they would be brought before the book of law and punished. Attempting to make use of this unfortunate situation, some are acting against the law,” Mr. Stalin said.
Everyone has to realise that violence was against development and that only a peaceful Tamil Nadu could be a State for everyone, the Chief Minister said. “The important reasons behind our development are our linguistic affinity, communal feeling and our policy for State autonomy,” he contended and further said: “We should never give these up for anyone.”
Identifying oneself as a Tamil didn’t mean that one is against those who speak other languages, he observed. “When we identify ourselves as Tamil, we are not an enemy to other national communities”, he contended.
Putting forward the objective of State autonomy did not pose a danger to India‘s integration, Mr. Stalin contended and said: “In fact, it is State autonomy that would save India‘s integration.”
Identities such as Tamil, Tamilian and Tamil Nadu were “not parochial”, Mr. Stalin said and added that his language, his community and his State should find their eminence in this vast country. “Likewise, other languages, other communities and other States should find their eminence.”
If a political movement such as the DMK had not been born and had not come to power in the State, it would not have been named ‘Tamil Nadu’, Mr. Stalin said. “None should forget that this State would have remained to this day as some ‘Madras Pradesh’ just like Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and the likes, without any unique identity.”
Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan, Minister for Industries, Tamil Official Language and Tamil Culture and Archaeology Thangam Thennarasu, Information Minister M.P. Saminathan, Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu, legislators, Vice-Chairman of the State Planning Commission J. Jeyaranjan and senior officials were also present in the event.
