'16 children': Lok Sabha delimitation may encourage people to have many children, says Stalin
PTC News Desk: The Lok Sabha delimitation exercise could lead people to consider raising "16 children," Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin remarked on Monday, referring to a Tamil saying about 16 kinds of wealth but insisting that children be given Tamil names.
He was referring to the census and delimitation process that will reshape India's electoral map by referring to saying "pathinarum petru peru vazhvu vazhga," which means "acquire 16 different kinds of wealth and lead a prosperous life."
Stalin said that newlywed couples may give up the idea of begetting few children now.
"The Parliament delimitation procedure may push couples to have a large number of children and abandon the idea of a small family. But, whatever the outcome, give your children Tamil names," the CM said after marrying 31 couples at a function hosted by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department here.
Previously, the elders would bless newlywed couples with 16 different types of wealth (pathinarum petru peru vazhvu vazhga), such as fame, education, lineage, wealth, and so on, rather than 16 children. People gradually came to assume that raising a modest family would lead to success, he said.
"That blessing doesn't mean beget 16 children… now a situation has arisen where people think they should now literally raise 16 children and not a small and prosperous family," Stalin stated.
- PTC NEWS
