Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday urged the newlyweds in Tamil Nadu to have children immediately, saying that the state’s successful family planning measures have now put them at a disadvantage. The chief minister also warned that population-based delimitation could impact Tamil Nadu’s political representation in Parliament and urged all residents to pay attention to his appeal.
Highlighting the changing demographic scenario, he stated that earlier, they used to say, take your time and have a baby. But now the situation has changed, and they should say it now. He said this by linking his concerns to the possibility of delimitation being implemented based on population census figures.
He also highlighted the potential impact on the state and reinforced his stance, stating, “So I won’t say take your time, but immediately have your baby.”
MK Stalin calls all-party meeting to discuss delimitation
In the meantime, MK Stalin has called an all-party meeting on March 5 to discuss the issue of delimitation. He wanted everyone to come together and consider Tamil Nadu’s future, which he said was at a critical juncture where it must protest to protect its rights.
He has also urged the Opposition parties to attend the meeting, saying, “I urge them to attend the meeting. Please set aside ego. Don’t think about why you should listen to my call,” Stalin said, emphasising that this was a pressing issue for Tamil Nadu.
While addressing an event at Nagapattinam, Stalin said, “Earlier, all focussed on family planning but we were pushed into a situation such as this. So I would now urge newlyweds to immediately have babies and give them good Tamil names.”
Why is Tamil Nadu against Centre’s delimitation?
It should be noted that the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu has been leading the delimitation charge against the government. Notably, the delimitation is the process of redrawing boundaries of parliamentary and Assembly constituencies to reflect changes in population over time.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed concern that the delimitation exercise, which is likely to be conducted after 2026, will put southern states at a disadvantage. He said the delimitation would give southern states a lesser say in Parliament despite their significant contribution to the country's GDP, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has contended.