Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam: A Step Forward for Caste Inclusivity in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister, M K Stalin, launched the Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam (KKT) to promote artisan development, rejecting the Central PM Vishwakarma Scheme. Stalin emphasized caste inclusivity and encouraged youth to pursue education, contrasting with the Vishwakarma Scheme's focus on family trade and ancestral professions.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin inaugurated the Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam (KKT), a scheme named after former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, aimed at artisan development. The initiative marks a divergence from the Centre's PM Vishwakarma Scheme, which Stalin criticized for its caste-based discrimination.

At the launch event in Kundrathur, Stalin highlighted the DMK government's commitment to caste inclusivity, contrasting it with the Vishwakarma Scheme, which promotes family-based occupations, potentially deterring young people from pursuing higher education.

Stalin reaffirmed his government's focus on empowering youth through programmes like Pudhumai Penn and Tamil Pudhalvan, which provide financial support to encourage advanced studies, countering the idea of confining individuals to ancestral trades.

(With inputs from agencies.)