The ruling DMK, whenever it spots an opportunity, seems eager to revive its outdated rhetoric of a “separate Tamil Nadu”—an ideology rooted in separatism that was constitutionally suppressed through the 16th Amendment and officially abandoned by the DMK in 1963. Yet, every now and then, the party appears to dust off this old narrative, using it as a tool to keep the embers of separatist sentiment alive.
In line with this tendency, DMK Minister for Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare, SM Nasar, stirred controversy during the launch of a website and the release of a conference report at the 12th World Tamil Economic Conference. The event, held on 16 June 2025, at Hotel Le Royal Meridien, was jointly organized by the World Tamil Economic Institute and the Chennai Development Corporation. In his special address, Nasar claimed, “Amartya Sen said if Tamil Nadu were a separate country, it would become a superpower and rank 18th among global powers.”
He said, “To tell the truth, an economist named Amartya Sen, recognized on the world stage. He is a Bengali, not even a Tamil. This Bengali man born in Shantiniketan. He studied at Oxford University and at Yale University. He has been a professor at two universities. Among students worldwide, he is known as a brilliant student—ranked among the top three. Such a person has also received the Bharat Ratna Award. Even after receiving many awards, he says in a research, “I have prepared research reports for development of many countries. If geographic details of the country is given based on a country’s economic growth, the goods it produces and grows. I would submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for 5, 10 and 15 years. I have submitted such reports for many countries, and I have seen with my own eyes the growth they have achieved. In that context, I have seen every state in India. I have studied the economic development of many states—from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.” And when he sees that, he says… He is not a Tamil. If someone like Sambath here said this, we might assume he’s saying it to flatter us because he’s Tamil. But that’s not the case here. The economist Amartya Sen who said, “If Tamil Nadu had been a separate country, it would have ranked as the 18th superpower in the world economically.”
தமிழ்நாடு மட்டும் இப்போ தனிநாடா இருந்திருந்தா என்ன தெரியுமா ஆகியிருக்கும்?…. தாழ்வு மனப்பான்மையால் பெருமையை சொல்ல மனம் வரல" – பொருளாதார வல்லுனர் சொன்னதாக அமைச்சர் நாசர் பேச்சு…!#Chennai | #MinisterNasar | #Tamilnadu | #DMK | #Economist | #PolimerNews pic.twitter.com/xwMC8rhIeC
— Polimer News (@polimernews) June 17, 2025
This assertion, however, is a long-standing myth circulated by Dravidianists. The truth is: Amartya Sen never made such a statement. While he has indeed acknowledged Tamil Nadu’s achievements—particularly in public health, education, and innovative governance he never suggested that the state would be a “superpower” if independent.
In his book An Uncertain Glory, co-authored with Jean Drèze, Sen commends Tamil Nadu’s social progress and efficient service delivery, noting that if compared separately from India, Tamil Nadu and Kerala would top the charts among South Asian nations in terms of social indicators. But at no point does he advocate secession or label Tamil Nadu a potential global superpower. The Minister’s statement is a distortion—another example of how separatist narratives are occasionally revived under the guise of cultural or economic discourse.
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