Making Constitution more federal will not weaken Union of India: Stalin

“It is a historic day as the DMK government has taken the initiative to guide not only Tamil Nadu but the Indian Union comprising all States. The report will be sent to all political parties in the country,” Mr. Stalin said after tabling Part I of the report of the Justice Kurian Joseph High-Level Committee on Union-State Relations in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

Democratic forces in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha that strongly support the principles of federalism should be brought together to advance constitutional reforms, he added.

“We are at a critical juncture in determining the future of the Indian Constitution. We must reassess the path we have travelled so far and chart a course to strengthen a truly federal structure for our future,” he said.

“Today is the day we take the initiative to amend the Constitution to ensure that State governments are vested with all necessary powers,” the Chief Minister said . “If we cannot do it, who else can,” he asked, amid thumping of desks by DMK members and their alliance partners.

Recalling the DMK’s legacy on State autonomy, he said its founder and former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai had spoken for States’ rights in the Rajya Sabha, and the demand formed part of the party’s 1967 election manifesto. He also referred to the appointment of the Justice Rajamannar Committee in 1969 by former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, with A. Lakshmanaswami Mudaliar and P. Chandra Shetty as members, which he said drew national attention to Centre–State relations.

Citing the Supreme Court’s judgment in the S.R. Bommai case, which held that federalism is part of the basic structure of the Constitution, Mr. Stalin said federalism must be firmly embedded as a guiding constitutional principle. “There is a need for constitutional amendments and reforms. The Constitution has been amended 106 times in 76 years. If we make the effort, we can amend it again,” he said.

He stressed the Union government and the States were not competitors but stakeholders in a shared framework, and that India would progress only if its States progressed.

Making a strong case for an open-minded acceptance of the report and a meaningful debate to restore balance in Union–State relations, the Chief Minister reiterated that the Union would be strong only when the States were strong.

Union Government does not respect States

“The Union government, which keeps all powers with itself, is exercising them in an autocratic manner and does not respect the States. State governments are looking to the Union for everything. How long can we depend on them? This should change. The report is the answer to our objective of finding a solution to this problem. To put it simply, we have now belled the cat,” he said.

“States bring development and pride to a country. Federal principles are not a privilege, but an armour that protects the nation. We must make those in power understand this,” he said.

Mr. Stalin said all States harboured aspirations for greater autonomy and that the Union should be federal in nature and governed collectively by the States. “But they are not able to express it openly. All parties, cutting across political lines, should adopt as policy the principle advocated in this report – State autonomy in which all languages, races, religions and cultures are allowed to live with rights and aspirations,” he said.

Alleging that the BJP-led Union government was bringing subjects from the State List under the Concurrent List, he said States were being deprived of their rights. “The rights of the States are being taken away one after another, and we are forced to fight the Union government even for the basic rights of our people,” he said.

The Chief Minister pointed out that funds to be shared with the States, as per recommendations, had been reduced for economically developed States without taking into account their contribution.

Mr. Stalin said the slogan “autonomy for the States and federalism at the Centre” was not the demand of a single political party, but a demand essential for the life and development of the people of India.

“We must strive to make India a mature federal State. Powers and opportunities should not be concentrated in one place; they should be decentralised. This report proposes legal measures to achieve that. It also makes clear that making the Constitution more federal in character will not weaken the Union of India,” he added.

The Chief Minister said State autonomy was the only viable path for Tamil Nadu at a time when the BJP government was appropriating the powers of the States, seeking to impede their functioning through Governors, exerting pressure through the imposition of Hindi, withholding funds and pursuing delimitation.

In his foreword to the report, Mr. Stalin wrote: “Federalism, in its true spirit, is not a concession to the States but a safeguard for the nation; not an obstacle to unity but its guarantee; not a device of convenience but a principle of constitutional dignity. It must be real both in letter and in lived practice.”

“I hope that Part I of the report will engage legislators, jurists, administrators, scholars and citizens alike. If it stimulates informed debate, restores balance to the Union-State relationship, and helps fashion a constitutional climate in which the Union is strong because the States are strong, then it will have served its purpose,” he said.

The committee, which had K. Ashok Vardhan Shetty and Dr. M. Naganathan as members, submitted the report to the Chief Minister on February 16.

Published – February 18, 2026 07:54 pm IST