Stalin exhorts cadres to work unitedly, end party rivalry

DMK treasurer M K Stalin today made a fervent appeal to cadres to work unitedly and end intra-party rivalry, asserting that only their party had the ability to usher in a "new, egalitarian" Tamil Nadu, a day after he was named as the party's Working President.
"Let us work unitedly as siblings. Let us end intra-party feud if any...Let us build a new Tamil Nadu. I stand in the forefront as one among you. Let us march to guard and develop the party," Stalin said.
"Only DMK has the ability to usher in a new, egalitarian Tamil Nadu by beating the avarice of those who think of living a selfish, joyous life by betraying everyone else since they have power in their hands," he said, apparently hitting out at the AIADMK regime.

Replicating party patriarch Karunanidhi's unique style of writing directly to cadres in party mouthpiece 'Murasoli', Stalin for the first time addressed party workers through a letter.
He also addressed cadres as "Udanpirappukkal," meaning both brothers and sisters, a word used by Karunanidhi for decades in keeping with party founder CN Annadurai's dictum of running the party with family values.
Karunanidhi has been writing to party cadres in the party Tamil daily for the past over 50 years.

Making it clear that he will keep his ear to the ground though he has now reached the top position, Stalin said "in this mammoth task (of leading the party) your cooperation is of utmost importance."

He said, "I realise that I have been given the responsibility of being the working president so that we could continue our journey with more vigour led by Kalaignar (Karunanidhi)".
Painting a dismal picture of present day Tamil Nadu under the AIADMK regime, he alleged that there is decline in multiple sectors which has affected women and young men.
Hailing Karunanidhi for his party work spanning over six decades, he affirmed that he would live up to the party's expectations in his new role.
Asked about reports of power struggle within AIADMK in
the wake of Jayalalithaa's death, Stalin said DMK does not want to intervene or interfere in the internal affairs of AIADMK but there were reports on a daily basis that such a division existed.

"As the Leader of the Opposition in the state, however, my primary worry is that such internal problems within the ruling AIADMK should affect neither the functioning of the Legislative Assembly nor the administration of the state.As the main opposition party in the state, the DMK has the responsibility to ensure that," he said.
When queried about murmurs of criticism about family politics in DMK and when he foresaw himself taking full charge of the party, Stalin said his detention under MISA during the emergency in 1975-77 is still green in his memory.
He said he was happy that he had an opportunity to fight for democracy as a cadre of the DMK during his youth.

"Dr Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) is the President of the party and he has been guiding me in all the spheres of my activity. I know very well that a hard and sincere worker in the DMK will never face obstacles and even if there are a few obstacles, they will be converted into stepping stones," he said.
Stalin, son of Karunanidhi, had led a spirited campaign ahead of the Assembly elections last year that in which the party won 89 seats on its own and 98 together with allies in a House of 234 losing by a narrow margin in the race for power.

Asked if he agreed with the analysis that probably projecting him as the chief minister would have ensured DMK's victory, he said the number of seats won by DMK individually and together with allies were both unprecedented records.
To a question on the perception that DMK has not been
strident in attacking the Centre on issues concerning central projects in the state, Stalin said as a political party, DMK always preferred to maintain good relations with the party in power at the Centre but only as long as the interests of the State and the secular character of the nation are protected.

"But we are not the ruling party in Tamil Nadu. It is for the ruling AIADMK, which also happens to have 49 MPs, to make the central government act fairly towards the state."
He said he was disappointed at the AIADMK government's lack of enthusiasm to fight for the rights of the state with the government at the Centre.
As for the Sethusamudram project, Stalin charged that it has been delayed not only due to the efforts of the BJP but also due to the AIADMK government's attitude which is unmindful of the development of the state.
"DMK is strongly for the Sethusamudram project, which will boost the economy, spur development and create employment - in not only the southern districts but the whole state and wherever the situation demands we haver been raising our voice for the implementation of the project," he said.

When queried about the Dravidian parties aligning with the one or the other national parties in recent decades and whether the Marina Uprising had any message for DMK to go to its roots, Stalin said he believed in constructive centre- state relations.
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At the same time, Stalin said, DMK is not for giving
up the state's rights. It was their party which had first appointed the Rajamannar Commission over Centre-State relations and it was DMK which had adopted the motto "autonomy for states and federalism at the Centre".
The party remains committed to this principle always, he said, adding whenever the state's rights were harmed during the years the party was in the ruling coalition at the Centre, it had achieved a number of projects for the development of the state.

"Whenever state's rights were affected during those years, we never hesitated to express our views or raise our voice with all seriousness and strength. We never compromised our individual identity while supporting any government at the Centre as this identity is our heart and soul.
"The recent Marina uprising reflects the disappointment among the students and youth about the non-performing AIADMK government in the state and the Centre's complete apathy towards important issues concerning the state.
"As many have observed, the Jallikattu issue is the straw that broke the Camel's back, the issue that ignited the pent-up discontent on many issues," he said.

Stalin cited the "betrayal" of the Centre over the formation of Cauvery Management Board despite the Supreme Court's direction has been mentioned by many students who were interviewed during the protests.
"History shows that this kind of large-scale action has been crucial to the growth and evolution of the Dravidian Movement over the past century. Think of the massive student-led anti-Hindi agitation in the mid-1960s, which was the precursor to the first DMK government in 1967.
"As the current standard-bearer of the Dravidian Movement, the DMK is confident that the students' uprising will once again reinforce our objectives, rather than undermine them," he said.