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After the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won the trust vote in the Assembly, the first session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly commenced on Thursday, June 18 with Governor Rajendra Arlekar maintaining that the state would continue with the two-language policy and oppose the National Education Policy (NEP).
The Governor stated that the administration would continue to follow the two-language policy and would seek to move education from the Concurrent List to the State List.
The government also reiterated its opposition to NEP 2020 and demanded the release of Rs 3,458 crore under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, stating it amounted to the Union government imposing the three-language policy.
“This government will urge the Union government to reconsider its stand linking the implementation of the three-language formula with the allocation of funds and to immediately release the funds due to Tamil Nadu,” he said.
He also said that the government would conduct a social justice survey after the completion of the ongoing Population Census.
On financial matters, the government released a White Paper on the State's finances and accused the previous administration of fiscal mismanagement. The Governor also announced plans to pass a resolution seeking a fairer share of tax revenues from the Union government and to form a legal committee to pursue the issue.
The Governor said that 717 TASMAC outlets had been closed since the government assumed office. He added that the government would prioritise the welfare of women and children.
In his maiden speech, the Governor began with former CM CN Annadurai’s quote, “The people are the true masters of the nation.”
The opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), led by Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin, wore black badges and staged a protest outside the Assembly, alleging that the ruling party was failing to address the worsening law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. The party also accused Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay of remaining silent on the issue.
Speaking to reporters after the Assembly session, Tamil Nadu Education Minister Rajmohan said the State government would urge the Union government to conduct a caste census to ensure greater social justice.
Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin rejected the allegations of fiscal mismanagement made in the Governor's speech. He said the claims were untrue, arguing that Tamil Nadu's position as the country's second-largest economy would not have been possible if the previous government's financial management had been as poor as alleged.
He also condemned the removal of social media posts highlighting the achievements of the Naan Mudhalvan scheme and criticised the government's decision to rename the programme.
At one point, the Governor apologised to the House when referring to names of several ideological leaders, including Periyar EV Ramasamy, K Kamaraj, BR Ambedkar, Velu Nachiyar and Anjalai Ammal. “Please forgive me if I have pronounced the names incorrectly," the Governor said.
The speech delivered by the Governor and prepared by the government, lauded Vijay for “single-handedly bringing about a great historic revolution”. He said that after CN Annadurai’s victory in 1967 and MG Ramachandran’s ascent in 1977, the formation of a TVK government under Chief Minister Vijay marked another major political transformation.
This article was written by a student interning with TNM.