CHENNAI: Reacting to the maiden address of Governor R V Arlekar in the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly, actor Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) stated that although the address outlines the core duties of the administration, it has largely failed to meet the high expectations of the public regarding new welfare schemes.
Key Demands and Omissions
In a statement on Thursday, MNM general secretary A Arunachalam outlined both the highlights and the glaring omissions in the policy document. The government must work with absolute resolve to bring education back to the state list, establish a permanent bench of the Supreme Court in Chennai, and declare Tamil as the official language of proceedings in the Madras High Court.
Welcome Moves
The constitution of the Tamil Nadu Investor Promotion Commission under the direct purview of the chief secretary to attract global investments is a highly welcome move. The decision to form a specialized team of legal experts to legally fight for and secure Tamil Nadu's rightful financial share from the Union government is a necessary step, he said.
Federalism Recommendations
The MNM urged the TVK government to review and systematically implement the recommendations submitted by the high-level committee led by retired Supreme Court Judge Justice Kurian Joseph, which was set up in 2025 to study federalism and Centre-State fiscal relations.
Rural Governance Ignored
A major point of criticism raised by the opposition parties was the apparent sidelining of rural governance. Arunachalam pointed out that while the governor's speech touched upon urban infrastructure, water supply, and development plans for corporations, municipalities, and town panchayats, it completely ignored rural local bodies.
The MNM expressed disappointment over the total absence of any road map for devolution of funds to village panchayats, empowerment of gram sabhas, or a timeline for conducting the local body elections.
Soft Stance on Critical Issues
"The governor's address exhibits a very soft stance on highly critical challenges like the Cauvery water dispute, the rampant drug menace, and sexual violence," Arunachalam noted. "MNM urgently demands that the government adopt an uncompromising, aggressive stance and execute strict enforcement actions on these fronts."
Conclusion
Concluding the critique, the MNM noted that because this marked the very first assembly session under the new TVK regime, citizens were eagerly anticipating major landmark projects and socio-economic announcements. By failing to introduce any groundbreaking initiatives, the MNM concluded that the governor's address had ultimately left the common public disappointed.
