Updated on Tuesday, September 15, 2009, 22:46 IST
Chennai: Reviving DMK's demand for autonomy and more powers to states, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and party chief M Karunanidhi on Tuesday asked the Centre to "clear the hurdles that came in the way" and called for granting official language status to Tamil.
"The Centre should clear the hurdles in this process and work towards ensuring autonomy for states," Karunanidhi said, presiding over the birth centenary celebrations of DMK founder C N Annadurai, attended by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Karunanidhi, whose party is a key constituent of the Congress-led UPA at the Centre, reminded Mukherjee about his remarks as the chief of a regional party in West Bengal in early 1970s that federalism in the country could be safeguarded only if states were given more powers.
Mukherjee had then demanded amendment to the constitution to confer more powers to the states and prevent the Centre from infringing on the states' rights, Karunanidhi said.
"Now you are in a place where you can give us more powers," he told Mukherjee, who released the centenary commemorative coins of Annadurai brought out by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Karunanidhi said DMK was never against any language, including Hindi, but was only against its "imposition." He said the time had come for the Centre to make Tamil one of the country's official languages, a cause dear to Annadurai.
In his speech, Mukherjee lauded Annadurai for his contributions and recalled that all ministers and members would be in their seats in the Rajya Sabha on the day when Annadurai was scheduled to speak.
Observing that Tamil Nadu made a "higher contribution" to GDP though it had only six per cent of the country's population, he said it had emerged as "highly urbanised and industrialised with dominant industrial peace."
The Tamil language had withstood the onslaught of many other languages, he said.
Stating that the DMK came to power in 1967 with a "massive verdict" trouncing the Congress, Mukherjee said the latter was "rudely shaken and lost what was considered a natural right of governance in the state and at the Centre."
In 1967, it was only Tamil Nadu which gave a "decisive verdict to a political party (DMK) though Congress was unseated in nine other states where political parties had to cobble up a coalition to inflict defeat on Congress," he said.
Heaping encomiums on Annadurai, Mukherjee said he was a "tall leader and true democrat in Indian politics who championed rationalism and self-respect."
"He continues to be a role-model for many contemporary Indian politicians and will continue to do in the future," he said, adding Annadurai was also a good Parliamentarian.
Today's function marked the end of year-long birth centenary celebrations of Annadurai. Festoons and party flags fluttered and songs eulogising him were played in different parts of the state. Opposition AIADMK also celebrated the day with its chief Jayalalithaa releasing a special booklet on him.
Bureau Report
Reading Karunanidhi's demand for autonomy together with his release of hard-core Islamic Jihadis from prison indicate that he has long-term plans to collaborate with Jihadi plans of balkanization of India. Karunanidhi has moved from being anti-Hindu to pro-Jihadi to being a Jihadi himself. The DMK government must be dismissed.
http://www.zeenews.com/news563827.html
Chennai: Reviving DMK's demand for autonomy and more powers to states, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and party chief M Karunanidhi on Tuesday asked the Centre to "clear the hurdles that came in the way" and called for granting official language status to Tamil.
"The Centre should clear the hurdles in this process and work towards ensuring autonomy for states," Karunanidhi said, presiding over the birth centenary celebrations of DMK founder C N Annadurai, attended by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
Karunanidhi, whose party is a key constituent of the Congress-led UPA at the Centre, reminded Mukherjee about his remarks as the chief of a regional party in West Bengal in early 1970s that federalism in the country could be safeguarded only if states were given more powers.
Mukherjee had then demanded amendment to the constitution to confer more powers to the states and prevent the Centre from infringing on the states' rights, Karunanidhi said.
"Now you are in a place where you can give us more powers," he told Mukherjee, who released the centenary commemorative coins of Annadurai brought out by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Karunanidhi said DMK was never against any language, including Hindi, but was only against its "imposition." He said the time had come for the Centre to make Tamil one of the country's official languages, a cause dear to Annadurai.
In his speech, Mukherjee lauded Annadurai for his contributions and recalled that all ministers and members would be in their seats in the Rajya Sabha on the day when Annadurai was scheduled to speak.
Observing that Tamil Nadu made a "higher contribution" to GDP though it had only six per cent of the country's population, he said it had emerged as "highly urbanised and industrialised with dominant industrial peace."
The Tamil language had withstood the onslaught of many other languages, he said.
Stating that the DMK came to power in 1967 with a "massive verdict" trouncing the Congress, Mukherjee said the latter was "rudely shaken and lost what was considered a natural right of governance in the state and at the Centre."
In 1967, it was only Tamil Nadu which gave a "decisive verdict to a political party (DMK) though Congress was unseated in nine other states where political parties had to cobble up a coalition to inflict defeat on Congress," he said.
Heaping encomiums on Annadurai, Mukherjee said he was a "tall leader and true democrat in Indian politics who championed rationalism and self-respect."
"He continues to be a role-model for many contemporary Indian politicians and will continue to do in the future," he said, adding Annadurai was also a good Parliamentarian.
Today's function marked the end of year-long birth centenary celebrations of Annadurai. Festoons and party flags fluttered and songs eulogising him were played in different parts of the state. Opposition AIADMK also celebrated the day with its chief Jayalalithaa releasing a special booklet on him.
Bureau Report
Reading Karunanidhi's demand for autonomy together with his release of hard-core Islamic Jihadis from prison indicate that he has long-term plans to collaborate with Jihadi plans of balkanization of India. Karunanidhi has moved from being anti-Hindu to pro-Jihadi to being a Jihadi himself. The DMK government must be dismissed.
http://www.zeenews.com/news563827.html
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