CM Stalin’s Warning To BJP In Speaking For India Episode, State Autonomy A Brahmastra Against BJP

One of the strongest suits of DMK is adaptability to new emerging technologies. At one point of time, there were 80 printed newspapers that propagated DMK policies excluding the handwritten journals. Murasoli started by former CM Karunanidhi was also published in the handwritten form in the initial stages.

Adapting to the digital world, DMK has been propagating its policies through different social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube etc. As a step forward, DMK is now conducting discussions with the party leaders in Twitter Space. For example, CM Stalin is giving speeches under the topic 'Speaking for India' which is broadcasted throughout the country.

Out of the 3 episodes that have been broadcasted so far, the 2nd episode was centred on the topic of corruption in BJP which later became the hot topic in India. The episodes are broadcasted with subtitles of different languages such as Hindi, Malayalam and English. DMK is the first party in India to capture the pulse of the nation, that technology is the psychology of today's younger generation.

The 3rd episode of the broadcast exposes the ways in which BJP is impeding a state's autonomy. Here are some important bits of information from the 3rd episode of Speaking for India.

Stalin's speech in Speaking for India - 3rd Episode

CM Stalin started by saying, "The CAG report published on September 23, 2023, highlighted 7 mega scams in India. According to information received on the 2nd week of October, the CAG officials who exposed the corruption details, were transferred on September 12 itself. This proves the fact that BJP has something to hide.

The 3rd episode of Speaking for India is going to be about State Rights and Autonomy. DMK is not just a party with unique policies which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, it is the 3rd largest party in the Parliament which is fighting to protect the values of democracy.

One of the important principles of DMK's policies is State autonomy. India is a federal country with diverse languages, races, cultures, customs, religious beliefs, forms of worship etc. The Indian Constitution has guaranteed rights to all of its citizens irrespective of diversity. Unity in diversity is the strength of India.

Metaphorically speaking, India is a magnificent garden with a beautiful variety of flowers. Therefore, our political forefathers who created the administrative system of the country made India a federal country instead of a unitary one. When PM Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he vouched for state rights. After becoming the Prime Minister of India, he did not agree with the first line of the Constitution, i.e. 'India that is Bharat, shall be a union of states'. As a CM who endorsed the rights of the states is now impeding the same after becoming the PM.

The main intention of the BJP government led by PM Modi is to abolish states altogether or reduce them to a position of mere municipalities with no autonomy. There are a lot of differences between CM Modi and PM Modi's principles and values. Here are some instances of his different values.

PM Modi dissolved the Planning Commission in which the State Ministers participated and gave feedback, in its place he created a powerless NITI Aayog. This is against his promise of planning programs with a state-friendly approach rather than a centralising Delhi approach.

In the states where BJP is not in power, they are trying to break the ruling parties by appealing to the MLAs and appeasing them which gives BJP, the authority over the states. This is against Modi's promise of not taking revenge on opposition parties.

Presently, BJP has created a situation where states have to wait for the approval of the union government to implement, even the policies introduced by the state government. This is against his promise of supporting federalism.

PM Modi and the BJP government have damaged the fiscal position of the states by not extending the GST compensation period and improperly distributing the GST shares to states. The allocation of share of tax revenue to states has decreased dramatically since the 12th Finance Commission recommendations. This is against the promise made in the manifesto to consult states before reforming indirect taxation and to provide more funds to states. For Tamil Nadu alone, an estimate of 85000 crores revenue was lost in the last 19 years.

Apart from this, fund allocation for the MNREGA 100-day employment scheme has been reduced which affected the livelihood of rural women especially and the salary is also not given on time. This pity condition is for all states in India.

Adding to this, one of the Union Ministers said that it is mandatory to print PM Modi's picture on state government schemes, otherwise the repercussion is loss of funds. This is the statement of the same government which promised more funds to states.

The promise of setting up a council to resolve issues between states went in vain. On the whole, BJP has no intention to either listen to the opinion of states or allow them to act within the powers conferred on them by the Constitution.

BJP's action plan is to paralyse the state administration by using the Governor's office. BJP is indirectly hindering the legislative process by directing the Governor to not give assent to the 19 bills passed by the representatives of Tamil Nadu Assembly. This is an act of belittling the rights of states and the dignity of the state legislature ensured in the Constitution.

BJP is gradually moving the country towards the path of single party, single leadership and single authority that is Prime Minister. Centralisation of power is against the federal and democratic nature of the country ensured in the Constitution.

The most disastrous thing is the interference of the Union government in the state's right to provide education to children. In the name of National Educational Policy, a state's uniqueness and identities are destroyed, the only way out is fighting for state autonomy.

In 1974, Rajamannar Committee was appointed by the former CM Karunanidhi to recommend on the subject of state rights and autonomy. He also passed the recommendations of the Committee as the Resolution of State Autonomy and realised the necessity for amending the Constitution to bring in autonomy to states.

The then PM Indira Gandhi accepted the resolution and said, 'These are important issues and we intend to consult all the Chief Ministers.' It was Karunanidhi who spread the slogan of 'Federalism at national level and autonomy at state level', which was endorsed by leaders of Kashmir, West Bengal etc.

BJP's plan is to institute authoritarian rule guided by the principles of RSS. Being in the last lap of its current regime, BJP has not ruled according to the Constitution, and also has not respected the state's rights. If states have to flourish, then the INDIA alliance has to win the 2024 elections and form a government."

CM Stalin ended the episode by seeking public support for the INDIA alliance.