Modi should learn from Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has proved that he is a politician of a different kind, by at least two of his recent acts, from which Narendra Modi should learn.

Stalin instructed Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi not to print his (Stalin’s) photograph on the school bags to be distributed to students all over the state. This is not all, he has instructed that the bags could carry photographs of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and the then Education Minister E Palaniswamy, during whose tenure the order for 65 lakh school bags was placed.

Stalin noted that printing of his photograph on the bags would cost the state exchequer Rs 18 crore, which he felt was waste of money.

Stalin’s decision has to be seen in the light of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wanting his photographs everywhere, including the anti-COVID vaccination certificates and the attempts to wipe out the names of Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi, by Modi and the BJP at the Centre and in States.

Politicians are known to enjoy eulogy and sycophancy and as result of which their followers competed with each other in praising the leader. Stalin does not like an of that. He has warned his colleagues in his party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) not to praise him, especially on public platforms, failing which action would be taken against them. Similar instructions have been issued to DMK legislators to avoid wastage of time in the legislature on praising him.