Sasikanth Senthil begins indefinite fast against the Centre for withholding SSA funds from Tamil Nadu

Tiruvallur Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil began an indefinite fast on Friday in his constituency against the Union government withholding over ₹2,000 crore due to Tamil Nadu under the Samagra Shiksha  Abhiyan (SSA) because of its opposition to the National Education Policy.

Mr. Sasikanth Senthil told The Hindu that he was protesting against the injustice in the “serious, old Congress style”. “I am silently sitting in the hall where I meet people of my constituency. I will not budge until the funds are disbursed. Let the Union government discuss the disagreements with the Tamil Nadu government thereafter,” he said.

He said he was upset at the non-disbursal of funds as it would affect the education of scores of students. “The Union government has tied all the funds and bundled them together. Previously, if Tamil Nadu didn’t want to allow Navodaya schools, it could not avail itself of specific funds. Now, the salaries of teachers, the funds meant under the Right to Education Act, and so on are all tied together. The Union government has a moral obligation to release the money first and then negotiate with the State government. It should not disrupt the education of children,” he said.

Mr. Sasikanth Senthil had repeatedly sought to raise the issue during the Zero Hour and also under Rule 377 in Parliament in July this year. He also wrote to Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan on August 19, urging him to release the funds.

In the letter, he said the delay, reportedly linked to the State’s non-acceptance of certain aspects of the National Education Policy, raised critical constitutional and ethical questions.

“In linking the release of educational funds to a State’s stand in respect of a policy is not only unacceptable but also violative of the federal structure enshrined in our Constitution. Education is a subject on the Concurrent List, and States have every right to frame and follow policies that reflect their regional, linguistic, and social contexts. Withholding funds meant for strengthening public education systems in Tamil Nadu penalizes lakhs of children and teachers and disrupts the ongoing efforts to improve learning outcomes,” he said.

Mr. Sasikanth Senthil added, “This is not about politics but about the future of Tamil Nadu’s students. The children of our State cannot be made collateral in a policy disagreement between governments. Denial of funds under a nationally mandated programme like the SSA threatens the very idea of cooperative federalism and sets a troubling precedent for Centre-State relations.”