Mumbai: At a mass wedding event on Monday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin offered newlyweds an unconventional gift: advice on family planning with a twist—bigger is better. The event, organised by the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) department, saw 31 couples tying the knot, but they might have gotten more than they bargained for in terms of life advice. With a smile and a wink, Stalin suggested that the newlyweds should think beyond the usual “hum do, hamare do” mantra, and aim for a brood large enough to field a cricket team—or two.
Stalin’s speech, though framed in jest, carried a political undercurrent. He alluded to the impending Lok Sabha delimitation exercise, which threatens to reduce the number of parliamentary seats for states like Tamil Nadu with lower population growth rates. The Chief Minister hinted that Tamil Nadu might have to reconsider the appeal of small families if it wanted to maintain its political clout. Why settle for a cozy family of four, he suggested, when you could aim for a more “traditional” setup of 16? After all, a fuller house means a fuller ballot.
As part of his pitch, Stalin invoked a classic Tamil blessing, “pathinarum petru peru vazhvu vazhga,” which means “may you prosper with 16 kinds of wealth.” Traditionally, this blessing is understood to mean the attainment of various forms of prosperity—land, gold, livestock, a working scooter—essentially everything needed for a comfortable life. However, given the current political scenario, Stalin seemed to suggest that taking the blessing literally might not be such a bad idea. Why not reinterpret it to mean 16 kids instead of 16 cows? The audience, a mix of freshly minted brides, grooms, and their families, reacted with a blend of laughter and unease. Some of the couples managed polite smiles while others exchanged glances that spoke volumes—possibly calculating the logistics of raising a small army in modern-day Chennai, where a two-bedroom apartment can feel cramped with even one toddler. Yet, amidst the chuckles, there was an unspoken acknowledgment that Stalin’s suggestion, however tongue-in-cheek, pointed to a serious issue: Tamil Nadu’s representation in the Parliament could shrink if the population continues to grow more slowly than in the northern states.
Stalin’s remarks also came with a cultural twist. He advised the newlyweds to give their children “beautiful Tamil names,” an appeal that seemed aimed at reinforcing Tamil identity amidst changing demographic dynamics. With the ministers, the Mayor, and other dignitaries in attendance, the Chief Minister’s words seemed carefully crafted to blend humor, nostalgia, and a nudge toward patriotic duty. While Stalin refrained from delving into the nitty-gritty of the delimitation process, his message was clear: the state’s future political influence might depend on its willingness to embrace larger families. He left out the technical details of how the delimitation could affect the state’s share of Lok Sabha seats, perhaps preferring to keep the conversation light. After all, why bog down a wedding speech with dry statistics when you can sprinkle in a dash of nostalgia and a side of irony?
The implications of his words did not go unnoticed. Stalin’s cheeky proposal comes on the heels of similar calls by Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu, who has suggested incentivizing larger families to counter the region’s ageing population. Naidu’s concerns echo those of many South Indian leaders: as fertility rates dip and younger generations migrate elsewhere, the region’s demographic advantage is slowly fading. It could result in a diminished voice in the national political arena if the delimitation exercise proceeds as planned.