At a time the Bharat Sarkar is trying for ‘’one nation one election, one ration card’, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu is working quite opposite to this by taking up once discarded ‘separate state’ or ‘statehood’ with enormous power like in US, European Union or erstwhile USSR.
After DMK coming to power instead of concentrating its entire energy on containing the Covid 19 situation and to conceal its defeat, it has been doing diversionary tactics. Hardly a day passes without the GO announcing reshuffling IAS and IPS officers. All pro DMK officers being accommodated in plume posts while shunting the suspected AIADMK officers to unimportant posts and in remote places. The state Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan has raked up a controversy by seeking more votes for bigger states and made certain offensive remarks against Goa. The Kogan state has been pouncing back with statements and demanding his apologies. Earlier, he said ISHA foundation would be nationalized and there would be a probe on Jaggi Vasudev. He made un-parliamentary terms against Jaggi Vasudev. Then the ministers blamed the Centre for not supplying Oxygen, vaccines to meet its growing demand. Simultaneously, in all the correspondence with the Centre, DMK has been started mentioning the Union government in loose term it means the federal government. It is being debated whether the state should be called Tamizhagam or Tamil Nadu. TN CM Stalin and son Udhayanidhi has been posing after visiting, reviewing projects, schemes. These are only diverting attention from the main issue of Corona.
It is to be remembered that last year itself voices for state autonomy has started growing by over 180 outfits, said to be funded by DMK with full legal support to face cases if any. This was mainly to ensure the victory of the DMK by raking up such dead and buried in deep soil issues to confuse the voters. The Organiser weekly had carried an exclusive in-depth analysis the slew of web conferences. The participants are mainly letter pad parties, anti-national, left and fundamentalist forces. It was attended by Lok Sabha MPs, MLAs and foreign delegates. They used the term ‘United States of India’ with more powers for states external affairs with visa issuing rule, defence, education, law, etc. The then the state government and the Centre, it seems, did not view it as seriously.
Even before the results of the April 6 state assembly results were out, there is a section of DMK and its allies who started clamouring for various impossible demands. The most particular one is the use of the term ‘ union government’ as the Centre itself uses this term “ Union Government” in all its press releases. But in Tamil Nadu those who use it and their indirect motives, narratives need to be debated. As per the Constitution of India, the word ‘ Union’ is used in the context of unity or cohesiveness. It is doubtful if the word is indeed employed in its original sense today by the DMK. CM Stalin has been using the term in all his official correspondence with the Centre by mentioning the term ‘ Union Government. Making proud as following the legacy of Dravidian stock, he tweeted this term first officially after swearing in as CM. before coming to power and as opposition leader, he used the term Central government in many press statements. Taking a cue or told to use, the controlled pro- government media has been giving focus to the word “ Union”. PTR Palanivel Thiagarajan commented “without states, there is no union” during the video conference of the 43rd GST Council meeting. Stalin’s son Udhaya Nidhi, who is being groomed to take over from his father M K Stalin and the party’s new Centre, is now using the term “ union government’ in his tweets. This, not the first time the DMK has been using this term. Earlier, MDMK chief Vaiko has been stressing for a long time.
Political commentator, Sriram Seshadri told the correspondent “ After winning the Tamil Nadu Assembly election in May 2021, DMK, its allies (except Congress), media who is more aligned to DMK, calls the Central government as union government, which is right, as per Article 1 of the Indian Constitution describes India (Bharat) as “Union of States”. Elaborating further, he said, “ But the underlying meaning of the Constitution India chose to use “Union of States” instead of “Federation of States” even though the constitution is federal in structure. According to Dr BR Ambedkar, this is because of two reasons; firstly, the Indian federation is not the result of an agreement among the states like the American federation and secondly the States have no right to secede from the federation. Union as a word is used because it is indestructible, and it’s the country for the sake of convenience of administration divided into several states. Constitution also lays provisions under Article 356 to the Parliament to dismiss a state government which means States are subordinate structure to the Parliament”.
Sriram Seshadri said “the Central government through the parliament can divide, merge or change the boundary of any states within the Country. A country exists without the states and states on its own does not exist. This is the fundamental preamble of the constitution. The only issue with the DMK and Tamil Nadu Media calling the central government as ‘union government’ is the idea behind this sudden realization of constitution definition, and many places the ministers keep saying the central government does not exist without states, the central government doesn’t have voters on its own”. He said “ on the contrary, it’s the central government for its convenience to administer has divided the country into states. The Constitution of India came into force in 1951 and various states were formed in 1956 and beyond through the States Reorganization Bill of 1956. Post this, there are several new states emerged by dividing large states into two. Recent examples are: Telangana, which was formed by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh into two and Jammu & Kashmir was bifurcated to three union territory. It’s important that the media and the leaders should understand this concept of “Union Of States” and stop promoting secession mindset amongst the people”.
The United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, European Union, where many states joined together to form a Union and they have independence on several counts including national race. But in Bharat, based on language and other administrative convenience several states were formed. State, central and concurrence lists were made to distinguish their power. But DK, DMK and its allies want to emphasize that they have been with the Centre and if they want they can come out of the fold any time they want. This they want to drive home in categorical terms. It is nothing but secessionist thinking.
DMK previously used the slogan “ Dravida Nadu” belongs to Dravidians to promote separatist ideas. “ Dravidian Liberation Day was also observed on a particular day. former Union Minister Murasoli Maran, put forth this argument in his 1965 book “ why we need Dravidian”. Dravidar kazhagam had mooted the separate “ Dravidia Naadu’ . When Annadurai told the visiting leader Vinobaba Dev that they could not stay with Bharat and that Dravida Naadu should be made up of four states ( Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala) with its own army and police force. Vinobabave said there was no support among Telugus in AP for forming a government with Tamils. From the state, DMK has been working for breaking the nation and form a separate state. But in 1963, based on the recommendation of the national integration council, the parliament passed the “ 16th Amendment to the Constitution which made secessionist tendency in the country engendered by regional and linguistic loyalties is ‘ illegal’. This forced Annadurai to drop his demand for separate Dravida Naadu. DMK’s first election manifesto laid emphasis on secession and called for the constitution to be amended to prove the right of states to secede.
Advocate Aswathaman said nowhere in the Constitution, the term “union government” could be found. It is the Government of India or Central government, Union of India to say in legal plaints. What they are trying to do is” it is US like federal system and with this they are trying to create an illusion that Tamil Naadu is a separate state.”
Vlogger Karthik Gopinath points out “ as per this article 365 of Constitution, President’s Rule can be imposed if any state fails to comply with all directions given by the Union on matters it is empowered to”. He said no state has the power to opt out of the union. Our Constitution has not been changed so far unlike Pakistan, Nepal. Article 12 clears defines what is state and its role, power. PTR Palanivel wrongly said no separate voters for the Union government. What he failed to see his voter’s ID card”. Political commentator Bala Gauthaman said Finance Minister kicked off this issue first with an intention. Gauthaman said even before India attained freedom poet Mahakavi Bharathi wrote “ Bharat is the best nation in the universe”. He said “ we should not attach importance to his other rants, but one needs to be viewed seriously. Thiagarajan said without the states there is no India. It is a dangerous trendsetter. Can we call Tamil Union CM M K Stalin according to our history?” will they accept. There were demands for a separate state for Vanniars and Kongu Gounders.
“What is in name and the term word would make a change thinking” would give wrong narratives in the young minds who would be the future kings. This thinking should be nipped in bud to protect the sovereignty and integrity of the Bharat. It is alleged that some foreign forces like China and Pakistan are behind this latest move. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Bharat should be one nation, and there is nothing to be gained by splitting apart. As “unity is the power”, we should not allow these voices to gain momentum. Interestingly, neither the DMK nor its allies have not guts to declare publically they do not to be part of Bharat.
The DMK government has fired another salvo by saying “it will strive to make all languages in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution including Tamil as the Union government’s administrative and official language” .
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