CHENNAI: Strongly advocating greater State autonomy and true federalism, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday said his government had taken the initiative to seek Constitutional amendments to vest more powers with the States.
Stating that the Union government and the States were not competitors, he said, "Both are shareholders in a common constitutional structure."
Tabling Part I of the report of the High-Level Committee on Union–State Relations, headed by former Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph, in the Assembly, Stalin reiterated the DMK's long-standing demand for State autonomy and federal governance at the Centre.
Addressing the House, he said federalism was not a concession but a constitutional safeguard that guaranteed national unity. "It must be real both in letter and in practice, " he said, expressing hope that the report would stimulate informed debate and restore balance in Union–State relations.
How long should we remain like this? This situation must change. We have belled the cat-- MK Stalin, Chief Minister
Stalin said Tamil Nadu had made significant strides in social justice, education, healthcare, economy and infrastructure despite limited powers, but had to constantly struggle to secure its financial rights from the Centre. "Today we are taking the first legal step to bring amendments to the Constitution so that States are vested with full powers, " he said.
Alleging that the Centre had adopted an autocratic approach, he said States were increasingly being made dependent on the Union and were forced to fight even for basic rights. He accused the Centre of gradually shifting subjects from the State List to the Concurrent List, weakening federal principles.
"How long should we remain like this? This situation must change. We have belled the cat," Stalin declared.
Appealing for bipartisan support, he urged political parties to treat State autonomy as a common objective beyond political differences. The demand, he said, was not confined to a single party but essential for the development of a diverse country like India.
Noting that the Constitution had been amended 106 times in 76 years, Stalin said necessary changes could be achieved with collective effort. The objective was not to weaken the Union, he added, but to ensure a stronger nation through empowered States.
He expressed confidence that the report marked an important milestone in strengthening cooperative federalism.