My book on the divergence between India’s states and the intractable issues it poses for the federal union is now out!
Buy it here:
SOUTH vs NORTH : India’s Great Divide amzn.eu/d/6RLbBvs
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Puram
@puram_politics
Author of ‘South vs North: India’s Great Divide’
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Because no one is imposing Tamil or Kannada in UP/BH. How hard is that to understand?
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Have you ever seen any top politician from UP or Bihar or Delhi wear a T shirt which says
Tamil Maaloom Nahi, Jaa bey ?
Why only dravidian stock CMs son is wearing such things. Taking him as inspiration another politician from karnataka @prakashraaj who just got 20000 votes in…
Being born and raised in Madras may or may not teach you Hindi, but it certainly teaches you to not have a caste name for a last name.
What happened there, my friend? twitter.com/Raamadaasan1/s
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Uttar Pradesh is an absolute hellhole in terms of governance.
One in two children at secondary school level do not attend school! This ranks the state at rank bottom. UP is 12 percentage points worse than Bihar!
We've been Tamil for over 2500 years. India is a 75 year old arrangement. How is this even a contest?
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For those in Tamilnadu of Tamil origin, which identity would you choose as your primary one if you had to choose one or the other below?
Show this poll
Why would someone in Bangalore learn Hindi over English as a second language? What are these guys smoking?
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An auto driver can speak English but not Hindi. Why is this Fear frm One Language? Hindi is the Fourth most spoken first language in the world.
Languages doesn't divide. It Brings Unity.
South Politics is only based on language so it's their propaganda to keep these fears alive. twitter.com/anusharavi10/s…
Better idea: learn Tamil or do not take our tax money!
Asking me to speak your language so that you can understand is not called having a link language. It’s called asking me to learn your language.
Modi is the first elected leader of independent India who seems to have designed, manufactured and delivered a recession. Well done.
I was at the airport bookstore and saw this nice man buy my book! What a thrill.
India as a country has existed for less than a century. Hindi as a language is 2 centuries old.
How exactly was Hindi India’s link language for centuries? What’s up with these Hindi imperialists.
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Every multilingual country needs a link language for day-to-day interactions, esp when travelling. Max 12% Indians know English. Between 65-70% know Hindi. Which is more practical? Hindi is India’s link lang for centuries. It doesn’t threaten other Indian languages. English does. twitter.com/puram_politics…
Are you mad? KA is one of the better developed states in India. 45% of KA women now have 10 years of schooling, as opposed to 33% in GJ.
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Replying to @timesofindia
People of Karnataka are eager to join other states in the country, which are far ahead in terms of development: PM @narendramodi
Beautiful Churches of Tamil Nadu needs to be a thread. This is the La Saleth Shrine in Kodaikanal, established in 1863.
Here's a chart I made on states' own tax revenue as a % of their total expenditure. Karnataka ranks first and raises 71.24% of its total expenditure in state taxes. No wonder wrote what he did.
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1. There's a reason why education in general and college admissions in particular WILL be a huge deal in TN. More than most states.
Hey : your state has an IMR of 64. Worse than South Sudan. KL has an IMR of 6, better than USA.
50 years ago GJ was richer than TN. Today, TN is richer than GJ. You know why? Because TN sent its girls to schools better than GJ did.
A Tamil Channel asked me to join their budget panel. I declined. But whoever wants my thoughts on the budget, here it is:
1. Nirmala Sitharaman needs to fire her Orthodontist.
2. Narendra Modi needs to fire Nirmala Sitharaman.
LOL. Being spectacularly stupid is a badge of honour among idiots, I gather.
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ஒத்த மனுசன்…ஒட்டுமொத்த திராவிட கூட்டத்தையும் கதற விடுறாரு….RN Ravi is more dangerous than MK Stalin
..
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You want to know why Jayalalitha is popular? Here's why. All of these happened when she was CM.
LOL. Why? So that we can have development metrics that are similar to states that are governed by national parties? Why would we do that? twitter.com/CoolNambiar/st
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This is an excellent set of answers.
There’s a mix of thoughtfulness and street fight in them. Well done, MK Stalin.
Hindutva’s tactic of marching into Muslim areas in bad faith and looking for a fight is so ugly, primitive and medieval.
But the worst part is, this society is so primitive that it achieves the end of inflamed majoritarianism for political ends.
Colorado adopts the Dravidian Model.
Remember, dear Tamil, every paisa that UP wastes - on cows/temples - is in some part your money that Delhi robbed you and gave it to UP.
Is Jaishankar truly an asshole or is he auditioning? It's becoming difficult to tell.
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Simply appalled at your tweet! There are lives at stake; don’t do politics.
Since the fighting started on April 14th, the Embassy of India in Khartoum has been continuously in touch with most Indian Nationals and PIOs in Sudan. twitter.com/siddaramaiah/s…
Who’s the idiot who’s clothing the Nataraja at the Madras airport?
This is not a deity. This isn’t consecrated. This is a piece of art.
1. , a CM of one of the world's most poorly governed regions, Uttar Pradesh, is campaigning in Karnataka. This is premonitory of what's in store for peninsular India.
Dear north Indian person, you hate English because it's a colonial language is it? So now you know what Hindi is to us.
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What’s the ratio of white collar job working north Indians who learn Tamil/Kannada after 5 years in Madras/Bangalore vis-a-vis the Tamil/Kannada person learning Hindi in Delhi.
Tamil Nadu sends money to Delhi. Delhi sends it to UP. And UP gives a waiver to its farmers. While Tamil farmers don't get a waiver.
How can a PM trot out such innumerate data? The 13th FC and 14th FC are not comparable. The latter had 42% under divisible pool as opposed to 32% under the 13th FC. And in that increased share under 14th FC, TN lost 19% in term of new weights.
Dear Hindi types: yes, Hindi is more foreign to Tamils than English is. I don't know why you don't get this basic fact in 2017.
This is probably the first time in independent India's history that CMs of other southern states have a greater degrees of subnationalism than that of Tamil Nadu.
Does Delhi pay for Medical Colleges in TN? No.
Does Delhi pay for schools in TN? No.
Why does it want to set entrance criterion, then?
What?!
Did this dumbass ever sit in a single Civics class?
Fawning Delhi types should see this interview of India's new Defence Minister. Absurd, petty, ignorant, arrogant and idiotic. All at once. twitter.com/gods_rule/stat
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50 years ago Gujarat was more literate and richer than TN. Today TN is more literate and richer than GJ. Thanks, mid-day meals.
I must say, has become better and better with time in terms of distilling his thought into clear communication that's simple and easy to understand for ordinary folk.
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Had a great time engaging in thought-provoking conversation with my friend & MP @ShashiTharoor at @mbifl2023, 4Feb. Federalism in India is an issue of pressing importance to people's lives & standing up for state's rights has been at the heart of the Dravidian movement's ideology
5:06
40 தமிழ் MPக்கள் இருந்தாலும் ஒருத்தர் கூட வாய திறக்கல. வெக்கமா இல்ல.
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An exchange in the LokSabha today on why India shouldn't waste time&money making Hindi an official language of the @UN: thenewsminute.com/article/what-i Also the countries @SushmaSwaraj named would not use Hindi at the UN so we'd be speaking to ourselves!
Well done MK Stalin.
Now, undo every other exam where Hindi is privileged over Tamil.
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The Union Ministry of Home Affairs approved the conduct of the CRPF Constable examination in 13 regional languages including Tamil, in addition to Hindi and English.
@muruga_TNIE
newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-n
In a civilized country, Modi would have resigned after RBI released its report. Good for him, he's the PM of an ugly third world hellhole.
If you ask what Hindi hegemony is, this is one of your answers.
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Deeply saddened by the untimely demise of versatile actor #Sridevi. Her contribution to Hindi cinema is unparallel and will be remembered for generations to come. My condolences to her family and countless admirers.
Dear KL/TN: India is using your resources to fund its cultural imposition on you. Wake up or be vassal states.
When you realize there's a deep recession 6 months from now, you'll wonder why these two stories weren't on the front page.
Why is the Chief Minister of Karnataka speaking in Hindi to the press?
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#WATCH | He is very popular. It will give power to BJP. We will win with a clear margin. The public will support the double-engine government in the state: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai on Kannada actor Kichcha Sudeep
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I met the Vice Chairman of State Planning Commission, Prof Jeyaranjan, and gave him a copy of my book.
I was thrilled when he said he’s been following my work!
So TN generates the highest toll fee in the country. Except NHAI wants to impose Hindi on Tamils using the money collected from Tamils.
Apropos dead children in UP, Infant Mortality Rate of UP is 73. Pakistan's IMR is 53. Going to Pakistan is somehow an insult in UP, is it?
It’s amusing that many native Hindi speakers think Hindi is a pan Indian language while English is not.
And that somehow people who don’t speak Hindi as a first language should learn Hindi over English as a second language.
God I miss Jayalalitha and MK. In so many ways. For sheer performance in political theater and their ability to say fuck you to Delhi.
Useful rule of thumb: whenever someone says "greater good" they usually mean their good is greater than your good.
If you live in southern India and are sending your child to a CBSE school, you are contributing to the centralisation on steroids.
Why would you do that? Why do you do that?
The ugliness of BJP's blatant hand in Tamil politics, with not a single MLA to show, is thuggery worthy of an African military dictatorship.
You better speak my language, eat my food and do things I approve of in order to validate the map in my head.
- north Indian, basically.
The reason Tamil Nadu does not vote for the BJP has nothing to do with Tamils being enlightened rationalists.
It's that the BJP represents the voters of the Indo-Gangetic plains whose interests are antithetical to Tamil interests in the zero sum game of Indian federalism.
Jayalalitha is possibly the strongest champion of states' rights in India. It's not a hedge for her. She's been consistent for 40 years.
TN BJP is fact checking some masala movie. Fuckers, have you tried fact checking Prime Minister's speeches on the floor of the Lok Sabha?
Jai Shri Ram is such a weird thing to say. If you grew up in a Hindu household in Madras.
Hinduism you were told is about realising the self. And that it’s different from Abrahamic faiths in precisely that way. Which is why the greatness of your God is irrelevant.
There’ve been bad Chief Ministers. But Adityanath is so uniquely bad and such a fundamental asshole that it’s hard to imagine anyone worse.
This is such an important letter. You should all read it in full. It evaluates allocation methods and implores right thinking politicians to protect states' rights.
Well done, .
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I urge Hon'ble PM @narendramodi and Finance Minister @arunjaitely to modify the undemocratic ToR to XVFC and ensure financial justice to the progressive states.
I am bit disappointed that had to resort to Hindi on what’s a English Channel. But we live in times when one has to do that to slay, I guess.
Go KTR!
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Tamil Nadu has more factories than Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan COMBINED.
The Hindi heartland is devoid of economic opportunities for its people; that's the real issue.
I explore this in this in my book:
1. Rajinikanth's entry into politics is what is: a pointless sideshow for north Indians with no plausible impact on Tamil Nadu.
Replying to
India is a Union. Like the European Union. Not a nation state. It bestows no identity. If you think it does, you really are either stupid or bigoted or both.
A moderate in the BJP is someone who says the same bigoted shit but in English.
I am sure the mosquito thinks its is at war with the elephant. That's not a reason to think it's a war.
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The War is between DMK and BJP.
Hey Modi, can you bring back the growth/jobs MMS achieved before you take cheap shots at him? Thanks.
So new currency notes don't go with old ATMs. Excellent. If only we had a strong leader who made tough decisions and thought things through.
It is stunning that the AIADMK is okay with the Governor’s impropriety.
Do better, party of that woman who, for all her faults, took states’ rights very very seriously.
What’s with airport staff being exclusively Hindi speaking and making gate announcements exclusively in Hindi and not in English?
Please spend your own money then; don't tax us to spend money on a language you don't even speak or write.
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Replying to @catale7a and @latha_venkatesh
All our Vedas and ancient scriptures are written in Sanskrit.
Sanskrit is most important endangered language of Indian Civilization.
Expenditure on Sanskrit is correct.
Central government should spend no amount on State official languages like Tamil, Telegu, Kannada, Oriya etc.
So , how does it feel to become India's Defence Minister even as the blood on your hands from Anitha's murder hasn't dried yet.
Politician claiming he’ll do political things in the near future is not news, .
What’s next, area plumber declaring he’ll do plumbing in the foreseeable future?
HD Deve Gowda was a much better Prime Minister than Narendra Modi. He delivered better growth, more reform and above all: peace.
This is kind of nonsense that makes Delhi worse than London as a colonising force.
Modi's idiotic statements on KL/KA aren't merely idiotic. It's dangerous and should deeply worry everyone in India. Especially voters in UP.
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And it’s quite remarkable that this man thinks I should learn his language for him to be able to travel to my hometown.
Like, what kind of hubris does that take?!
The opposite of nationalism in India isn't being anti-national. It's being healthy, educated and non-Hindi speaking.
Rajinikanth it seems. Firstly he won't. Secondly, he's a right wing nutjob. Thirdly, only north Indians think he can win elections in TN.
Wake up in the morning. Kill irony with bare hands. Drink its blood for breakfast.
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As a citizen of India, it is painful to see Congress taking level of debate and argument on the floor of the house to a new low.
UP has an economy that's 7% smaller and a budget expenditure that's 36% larger than TN. Is this fair? Is it sustainable?
I ask these questions here:
Not everything is about elections. There is such a thing called an assault on the idea of a self governing people. Which is far more serious than who wins elections.
The sooner journalists understand this, the better.
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The governor has given #DMK the best political opportunity in the run up to 2024 polls. Let’s see how the DMK uses it.
Sri Lankan Buddhist monk: saves a cow and cheers on the slaughter of Tamils.
Delhi asshole: be the Delhi asshole.
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Tamil Nadu has the best record of immunization for children among all states. You know why? A CM in 2003 took it up as priority.
The greatest predictor of an Indian state’s poverty is the degree of its patriotism towards India. More patriotic the state, more poor it is.
I hope the chest thumping types take a look at this.
The Anna Centenary Library is just a great civilisational achievement. ❤️
It's amazing how Delhi's loot of southern states has now become a talking point for politicians in Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Karnataka. Telangana and Kerala will join soon, I am sure.
It's amazing how so many English speaking north Indians think identifying as Indian is virtuous but identifying as a Tamil is chauvinist.
Singapore is set to have a Tamil for President in . I can’t foresee India having a Tamil person as it Prime Minister.
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7. To call the ability to go to a coaching mill that teaches a test and then clear the test as merit is that peculiar upper caste stupidity.
The only story here is, why the fuck was it tested?
If you are voting in Bangalore today, you should ideally be voting for your self-interest.
That is to vote against the party that represents the interests of the Indo-Gangetic plains that are against your interests in the zero sum game called resource allocation problems.
It's amusing how India acts exactly like a colonial power with respect to parts of India that aren't Hindu and Hindi speaking.