Schools must treat every child as their own: Stalin

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday asked educational institutions in the state to treat every child in their school as their own and said that people engaging in unlawful activities (in Kallakurichi) should realize that violence is antithetical to development.

Participating in “Tamil Nadu Day” celebration organized by the Tamil Development department here through video call, Stalin, who was discharged from the hospital for Covid-19 treatment this morning, said that the disturbing Kallakurichi incidents have happened at a time when the government was striving to achieve the goal of creating everything for everyone.

“Educational institutions should treat every child as their own and educate them. I would like to caution that those engaging in acts in violation of this principle would be brought to the books and punished,” the CM said. “A few people have ganged up and engaged in unlawful activities by exploiting the unfortunate situation. They should realize that violence is antithetical to development. Only a peaceful Tamil Nadu will be a state meant for all,” he added, attributing language pride, ethnic pride and conviction in federal principles as one of the major reasons for the state’s growth.

Not enemies of other language, ethnicities

Adding that they were not enemies of other language speaking people or other ethnicities, the CM said that preaching state autonomy was not opposed to disturbing national integrity. “State autonomy will only safeguard national integrity. Integrity could be achieved only by treating and respecting people of all ethnicities, languages, religion and cultures equally. Proclaiming Tamil, Tamils and Tamil Nadu is not a myopic view. In the vast country, my language, my race and my state should flourish. All states and ethnicities and languages should achieve it. We speak ethnic, linguistic pride and state autonomy with such magnanimity” he added.

State would not be Tamil Nadu but for DMK

Remarking that the state would not have been named Tamil Nadu if the DMK was not floated or captured power, the CM said that those who wonder what ‘Dravidam’ had accomplished, should not forget that like Uttar Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, the state would have remained without any identity as “Chennai Pradesh” had the DMK government not been formed. Recalling the famous “south is waning, north is waxing” slogan of the DMK in the distant past, the CM referred to TN’s contribution to the national economy and said that the power shift in 1967 and 50 year-rule has created a situation where Tamil Nadu is now credited with flourishing. Stalin also paid rich credits and saluted the contribution of martyrs for their contribution to naming the state and securing its borders.