Chennai: Amid fears that Tamil Nadu could lose its share of parliamentary seats due to population-based delimitation, Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin on Monday urged newlywed couples to have children sooner rather than later.
“Earlier, it was common advice for newlyweds not to be in a hurry to have children. However, that situation has changed, and we should no longer say such things. [During delimitation], Lok Sabha representation will be based on population. Only if we have more people will we get more MPs. We are facing this situation [of possible reduced representation] because we successfully implemented family planning measures. Hence, I will no longer say, ‘Don’t have children now.’ Instead, you should have them quickly,” Stalin said at the wedding of a party functionary in Nagapattinam district.
A few months ago, Stalin had also touched upon the issue of delimitation, jokingly suggesting that couples should have 16 children, as was considered a blessing in ancient times.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister appealed to all political parties to set aside their differences and participate in the all-party meeting he has convened on March 5 to discuss the impact of the impending delimitation exercise. He urged parties that have decided to boycott the meeting to reconsider their decision in the interest of Tamil Nadu.
“This is about Tamil Nadu’s rights. Do not pawn the interests of our future generations for selfish reasons. Reconsider your decision with a clear conscience,” he appealed.
Separately, in a statement, Stalin reiterated that even if the DMK had to lose power or face arrests, it would continue to oppose the imposition of Hindi in Tamil Nadu.
