CHENNAI: CHIEF Minister MK Stalin, who presided over a wedding ceremony of 31 couples organised by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department on Monday, said in a lighter vein that the delimitation exercise planned by the union government has made people of Tamil Nadu question whether it was wise to have fewer children.
Expressing his wishes to the couples, Stalin said, in the olden days, elders used to wish the newly weds to get 16 types of wealth and prosper while some misunderstand them as 16 children. Stating that the wish offered generally in the present day is to give birth to fewer children and live with prosperity,
Stalin remarked that with the possibility of number of parliamentary constituencies getting reduced due to delimitation exercise (which is based on population), a situation has arisen as to why the people of Tamil Nadu can also not give birth to 16 children.
He underscored the DMK government’s efforts in temple renovation and management and highlighted that true devotees have lauded these initiatives while those who use devotion for political gain are not able to tolerate the good work of the government.
He quoted the famous dialogue from the film ‘Parasakthi’ penned by former chief minister M Karunanidhi, which said, “Our policy is not to oppose temples. Our aim is to ensure that temples do not become the abodes of scoundrels”.
Listing a number of initiatives taken by the government for the development of temples, Stalin said it has completed renovation and consecration ceremonies at 2,226 temples in the last three years.
Stalin outlined other major achievements of the HR&CE Department, which included retrieving temple lands worth Rs 6,792 crore from encroachment, fencing 1.75 lakh acres of temple lands, and establishing health centres at 17 temples across the state. These facilities cater to the medical needs of devotees and others visiting the temples.
Additionally, the chief minister noted that the government is actively pursuing legal cases in favour of the HR&CE Department, including those related to temple administration and the appointment of priests from all castes.
“We are keenly focused on winning these cases to uphold fairness and inclusivity in temple practices,” Stalin added. He lauded the work of HR & CE Minister PK Sekarbabu for his contributions to the department.
Ministers K Ponmudi, Ma Subramanian and other elected representatives also participated in the event.