Annamalai is going to take the bull Stalin by the horns

“Left is nowhere in the country.” If you think so, you might be wrong, as there exists a state in India where Hindu temples are being razed left, right, and center. There is a state where women fear for their lives and are scared of political goons roaming freely on the streets.

The state is Tamil Nadu, and all this is happening in broad daylight under the leadership of the anti-Hindu party, DMK, and its nepotistic master, M.K. Stalin. However, to counter the anti-Hindu and simply anti-people steps of Stalin, there is a populist leader in the power corridors of Tamil Nadu who could take the bull named Stalin by the horns: K Annamalai.

Stalin’s anti-Tamil move

What does a statesman do with a loss-making entity in the territory? Probably, reforms. As any entity is connected to the people of the state in some manner, However, not every chief minister can be a statesman, and this is clearly visible in Stalin’s recent decision regarding the Tantea.

The Stalin government has decided to transfer the Tamil Nadu Tea Plantation Corporation (TANTEA) to the forest department. The government has decided to hand over 5,317 acres of tea estate land for reforestation, citing losses. The areas affected include Naduvattam, Valparai (with factory closure), Coonoor, Kothagiri, Pandiar, Cherangode, Nelliyalam, and Cherambady.

As per reports, the decision has been taken to reduce the lease/rent liability by Rs 5.98 crore per year. Annamalai had pointed out that the Stalin government was snatching the livelihood of thousands of people to save a nominal amount.

Annamalai has opened his arsenal against Stalin

K Annamalai, President of the Tamil Nadu BJP, has threatened to protest against Stalin’s anti-people move. He stated that the protest would take place on Sunday in Gudalur, Nilgiris district, with a front of 15000 people whose livelihoods is at risk.

In a scathing attack on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and reminded the state of his poll promise. For the unversed, before the elections, Stalin had promised to regularise the temporary workers of Tantea.

Annamalai also pointed out that the economic status of these families has not seen any significant improvement over the years, citing the government’s failure to deliver development as promised.

The history and significance of Tantea

Do you remember the days of CAA-NRC? The opposition constantly targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that if Hindus can be accepted in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan, then why leave Sri Lanka? However, with this move, Stalin has made it public that all that was for political mileage, and he and his government hold no empathy for the Sri Lankan Tamils; otherwise, they would not have been snatching their livelihood.

Yes, the inhabitants of the Nilgiris region are Sri Lankan Tamils. The Tantea Corporation was founded in 1976 to rehabilitate Sri Lankan Tamil repatriates who had returned to India. The Sri Lankan government granted citizenship to 3.5 lakh Tamils, and about 5.25 lakh were repatriated to India under the bilateral pact between the governments of the two nations, known as the Sirima-Shastri pact. The move is therefore being seen as anti-Tamil.

Stalin on the firing line

The road ahead doesn’t seem to be smooth for Stalin and the DMK, as now the party and its anti-people moves have got the attention of the common masses as well as the opposition. AIADMK’s interim general secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswamy, has also demanded that the party take back its decision.

Also, it seems that Stalin is backtracking post the scathing attack led by BJP Tamil Nadu president K Annamalai. After the announcement of the protest by Annamalai, Stalin attempted damage control by announcing housing facilities for the retired Tantea workers. Stalin said that the government had sanctioned Rs 13.46 crore for the purpose. The same Stalin who was trying to save some Rs 5 crore by handing over the tea estates to the forest department