In response to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s advocacy for increasing the birth rate, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin urged people in Tamil Nadu to consider having more children. Speaking at an event in Chennai organized by the HR and CE department for free marriages, Stalin referred to a traditional Tamil adage, “padhinarum petru peru vazhvu vazhga,” which translates to “may you have a prosperous life with 16 children.” He linked this idea to the potential reduction in Lok Sabha constituencies due to a declining population, questioning whether families should limit themselves to fewer children.
Stalin’s remarks follow Naidu’s recent suggestion that the Andhra Pradesh government may incentivize families to have more children in light of concerns about an aging population in South India. Both leaders’ comments come amid discussions that the BJP-led Union government might realign constituencies based on population growth. This has raised concerns in some southern states, where declining birth rates could result in fewer political constituencies and, consequently, less representation in Parliament.
