Stalin asks TN people not to make room for communal, casteist forces

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday appealed to the people of Tamil Nadu to not accommodate communal and casteist forces trying to incite hatred and divide people.

In his elaborate New Year greeting message to the state people, Stalin said that the goal of the Dravidian model government was that Tamil Nadu should be the frontrunner state in development of education, employment, intellectual capacity, industry and social progress for all.

"I dedicate myself to achieving the goal. I request you, the people of Tamil Nadu, to extend your wholehearted cooperation for that, " he said.

Asking the people of Tamil Nadu to extend their cooperation for the state to flourish as a land of social justice and secularism, the CM said, "We must never make room for casteist and communal forces inciting hatred and dividing us. We must live together with the feeling that we are Tamils by language and race. Only if we remain a harmonious state can we become the best state in the country."

Describing 2022 as a year of growth in all sectors for Tamil Nadu, the CM said that they had changed the sluggishness of the previous year (2021) and the people started turning resourceful again in 2022.

Assuring that he and his government would strive to further increase the state people's socio economic progress in 2023, Stalin said, "Seeing happiness on your (people) faces was important to me. Hence, I consider the CM post a great responsibility and function accordingly."

Claiming that he functioned in a manner which won the appreciation of the people who even did not vote for him, the CM said that the appreciation of the people enable him to work more, and attentively.

He also described the media surveys putting him on top of all CMs in the country and Tamil Nadu securing top position in nine of the 12 parameters at the national-level as the victory secured through Daily hard work.

Referring to the various welfare schemes implemented by his government in the last year, mainly the free bus travel for women and most recently the Rs 1,000 cash gift for Pongal, the CM said that they would implement several new schemes covering government employees, teachers, farmers, students, women, disabled and marginalised people in the coming year (2023).