Tamil Nadu Minister MRK Panneerselvam sparked a row when he made an insensitive remark about migrant workers, reigniting the debate between the Center and language policy. Addressing an event in Chengalpattu near Chennai, the state agriculture minister said people from north India come to the south to “clean tables and sell pani puri” because they have only Hindi education.
MRK Panneerselvam said, “…those from the north come to Tamil Nadu to clean tables… they come here to work as construction workers pani puri sellers because they have just learned Hindi. But our children have gone abroad… because we follow a bilingual policy and they have learned English well. They go abroad and get an opportunity to earn millions… in USA, London.”
While his comments were largely criticized by the opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) defended him and insisted that there was nothing derogatory in his remarks.
DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan said the minister only highlighted their woes over the way BJP ruling states treated their people.
“It’s about how other states treat their people. They don’t provide proper education. Their education system is against their growth. That’s why they come here. Tamil Nadu provides good education and jobs and also treats people from other states decently,” he said.
Arguing that the situation is worse in BJP-ruled states, Elangovan said, “They are not providing good education or employment. They are not taking care of their people because BJP is a religious group and not a political one.”
How did the AIADMK respond?
AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan criticized Panneerselvam’s remarks as “highly reprehensible”, saying that people came to Tamil Nadu in search of livelihood but were given a raw deal.
He told PTI, “You would see a migrant worker from Odisha being beaten up. And he came back. And you would also know that a couple and their child from Bihar were murdered. They are not given a safe home to contribute to the development and welfare of the Tamil Nadu economy, that is how they are treated.”
Most of the brown-collar work was done by migrant workers who contributed significantly to the national economy. “That’s why we proudly say that Tamil Nadu is the second largest economy in India and such derogatory remarks clearly show the mindset of DMK,” Sathyan said.
The state has always been proud to say “Vandharai Vaazha Vaikkum Thamizhagam” which meant providing shelter to anyone who comes to Tamil Nadu in search of livelihood and livelihood, he pointed out.
