‘Women in North India told to stay at home, bear kids': DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran sparks row

DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran has sparked a controversy by claiming that girls in several northern states are often discouraged from pursuing education and careers and are asked to remain at home and do household work. Maran made the remark while comparing the status of women in North India with that in Tamil Nadu while addressing students at the Quaid-E-Millath Government College for Women in Chennai.

In his address, Maran claimed that girls in several northern states are discouraged from pursuing education and careers, whereas Tamil Nadu actively promotes women’s education,and empowerment. “Our girl students should be proud. In North Indian states, they ask girl children not to go to a job, ask them to stay inside their house and do household work, work in the kitchen, and give birth to children. But we wanted our girl children to study,” he added.

Maran praised the ruling DMK government and Chief Minister MK Stalin, describing Tamil Nadu as “the best state in India” and the present administration as a continuation of the Dravidian movement’s emphasis on social justice and women’s education.

Referring to social reformer Periyar, he said the Dravidian ideology laid the foundation for girls’ education in the state and that the current government was following the same principles.

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Remarks trigger debate on social media, in political circles

The remarks quickly drew attention for their broad generalisation about northern states, triggering debate on social media and in political circles over regional stereotyping and the realities of women’s education across India.

The event was held as part of the Ulagam Ungal Kaiyil (The World in Your Hands) scheme, under which Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin distributed laptops to 900 final-year students of the women’s college.

Stalin highlighted the role of education in empowering women and contributing to society.

“I am happy to distribute laptops to all of you. It is often said that once girls complete their education, they contribute significantly to society. We are proud of our girl students,” he said. He also recalled that former chief minister M Karunanidhi had named the college in 1974 and strengthened its infrastructure.

Stalin said the state government had allocated ₹2.5 crore for the initiative and reiterated the plan to provide laptops to students across Tamil Nadu. “A total of 10 lakh students are expected to receive laptops this year. Earlier, laptops were given in schools, but the scheme was stopped in 2019. Our chief minister has now extended it to college students without compromising on technology or quality,” he said.

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He also urged students to use the devices for academic purposes rather than entertainment or social media. Quoting Periyar, Stalin said, “He once said vessels should be taken away from girls and books should be given instead. Today, our chief minister is not only giving laptops but is also emphasising education. My wish is that you achieve even more than men in your fields.”

BJP condemns remark, says Maran should apologise

Narayanan Thirupathy, BJP spokesperson in Tamil Nadu, reacted sharply and condemned DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran for his comments. “Once again, Dayanidhi Maran has abused North Indian people. I feel very bad about how these people are allowed to do this, although this is regular from DMK. I don’t think Dayanidhi Maran has common sense,” he said.

The statement is offensive and shows a lack of common sense, Thirupathy said, and demanded that Maran apologise to the people of India, particularly Hindi-speaking communities.