'Have Babies Now': CM MK Stalin To Couples in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin warns that the upcoming delimitation may reduce Tamil Nadu’s MP seats and urges people to have more children to protect the state’s representation.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged people to have children soon. This unusual appeal is linked to an important issue – delimitation.
What is Delimitation?
Delimitation means changing the boundaries of parliamentary and Assembly constituencies based on population changes over time. This process is done to ensure fair representation. The Indian Constitution mandates that this exercise should happen based on the Census, which is conducted every ten years.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has proposed a new delimitation exercise, which could impact the number of MPs from southern states like Tamil Nadu.
Stalin’s Concern
CM Stalin believes that Tamil Nadu’s success in population control could reduce its representation in Parliament. He warned that if delimitation is done based on population, Tamil Nadu could lose 8 MPs, reducing its current 39 seats to 31.
At a wedding event in Nagapattinam, Stalin said, "Earlier, I would ask newly married couples to take their time before having children. But now, I would not say don’t hurry. If we have a larger population, we can have more MPs."
To address this concern, Stalin called for an all-party meeting on March 5. Many political parties, including DMK, AIADMK, Congress, and the Communist Party, attended the meeting. However, BJP and some other parties did not participate.
Opposition’s Reaction
BJP spokesperson CR Keshavan criticized DMK, calling it a "desperate and dishonest drama." He questioned whether DMK had the courage to ask Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to clarify his statement, "Jitni Abadi, Utna Haq" (meaning rights based on population size), which goes against DMK’s stand.
Home Minister Amit Shah has assured that Tamil Nadu’s MP seats will not change, even if delimitation is implemented.
Andhra Pradesh’s Take on Delimitation
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has also shared his views. He believes that delimitation should not be linked to population management. He also stated that India’s young population is a great advantage compared to aging populations in countries like Japan and China.
Andhra Pradesh MP Kalisetti Appala Naidu recently suggested giving ?50,000 to women who have a third child and a cow if the newborn is a boy. This proposal has sparked a big debate. Naidu defended the idea, saying Andhra Pradesh’s birth rate is dropping and needs to be increased.
What’s Next?
The delimitation debate is growing stronger in southern states. Many leaders believe that the current system is unfair to states that successfully controlled their population. Others feel that delimitation is necessary for equal representation.
What do you think? Should delimitation be based on population or not? Share your thoughts in the comments!
