Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Rajaa on Thursday claimed said that women are more progressive in Tamil Nadu and that it is disheartening to see disparity in women's prominence across country.
"This doesn't happen overnight. It takes centuries of work and that is why you should be aware of one number. Of all the women working in India, 43% are from Tamil Nadu. The rest of India is not giving enough importance to women," he said.
He also said that Uttar Pradesh survives on the tax contributions made by Tamil Nadu to the Centre.
Responding to PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss’s remark that Uttar Pradesh has grown faster than Tamil Nadu, Rajaa dismissed the statement as “laughable and childish.” He argued that while Tamil Nadu contributes heavily to the national economy, it receives only a fraction of its share in return.
“When Tamil Nadu gives one rupee in tax, we get back only 29 paisa. The rest goes to states like Uttar Pradesh. From our funds, they claim a surplus. Uttar Pradesh lives by way of Tamil Nadu’s money, and that is the truth,” Rajaa told reporters.
The minister said Tamil Nadu has attracted Rs 11.32 lakh crore in investments in recent years and created 35 lakh jobs, citing central government data. While the national growth rate is around 6-7 percent, Tamil Nadu, under Chief Minister M K Stalin, has clocked 11.19 percent growth, he added.
At a women’s college event in Chennai, Rajaa highlighted the social progress driven by the Dravidian movement. “In northern states, women are usually asked about their husband’s job. In Tamil Nadu, they are asked about their education and career. This change took a century of work,” he said, crediting leaders such as Periyar, C N Annadurai, M Karunanidhi, M G Ramachandran, and J Jayalalithaa for prioritising education.
He further pointed out that 43 percent of women working in India’s organised factory sector hail from Tamil Nadu. “This is an extremely proud number, but the rest of India is still not giving enough importance to women,” he added.
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