‘DMK propelled TN into developed State, will usher fresh dawn in 2026 amid Oppn’s gloom’

CHENNAI: Hitting back at the critics and detractors of the Dravidian movement and Dravidian model governance, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday proclaimed in the State Assembly that the DMK would form a government for the seventh time in 2026 and his incumbent regime was the foundation for it.

Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address in the State Assembly, Stalin said, “Only DMK has the history of a social reform movement transforming into a political party and capturing power six times. I will say with certainty. The DMK will form the government for the seventh time. We said at the time of forming the government (2021) for the sixth time that it would be a vidiyal aatchi (tenure of new dawn).”

The DMK president was confident that the Dravidian major’s regime would dawn again in the 2026 Assembly elections, too.

Dawn is only for the public, not for those with an anti-people stance

The DMK chief took a jibe at the opposition parties for parodying his government’s ‘vidyal’ claims. “Opposition parties that were rejected by the people and condemned to gloom are wondering where dawn is. Dawn was promised only for the people, not for those against those people. The sight of dawn will be glaring for their eyes,” Stalin remarked, taking a veiled jibe at the Opposition who mocked his Dravidian model reference.

“You know what is the proof of the dawn? The smile that I see on the faces of people who gather around me wherever I go is the dawn. You will see the dawn on the face of the 1.14 crore women receiving Rs 1,000 monthly honorarium under the Kalaignar Mahalir Urimai Thogai scheme. Women benefiting from the Vidiyal Payanam scheme saved Rs 600 to 1,200 monthly through bus rides. That is vidiyal aatchi,” Stalin said.

'Some people hate the word Dravidam'

Listing out the success of the DMK government’s flagship schemes Naan Mudhalvan, Pudhumai Penn, Tamil Pudhalvan, CM’s breakfast scheme and nutritional enrichment programme, among others, Stalin said, “The regime of ‘Rising Sun’ is one which designs schemes that directly benefit every person in the State. I called it the Dravidian model government when it was formed. Some people fume and envy the mere mention of the reference to the Dravidian model. Some people fear the word Dravidam.”

Adding that the Dravidian model encompasses self-respect, social justice, equality, brotherhood, gender neutrality, welfare of the marginalised, power share for people hailing from the scheduled castes, secularism, industrial growth and progress, the CM said, “Tamil Nadu flourishes as a developed state today because of the Dravidian ideology.”

MK Stalin further said that federalism, more power to the states, due position for the Tamil language, equal rights for all races, and ensuring the State leads in all social indices are the hallmarks of the rule.