Last Updated on February 9, 2026 2:36 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Syed Ali Mujtaba / Chennai
Recent news on the Muslim community in Tamil Nadu in 2025 and early 2026 is presented here to highlight political representation, education, and communal harmony in one of India’s topmost progressive states.
Political representation: Muslim parties, including the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK), demanded better political representation for the Muslim community in the 2026 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.
The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has demanded 7% reservation for Muslims in Tamil Nadu. SDPI requested an increase in the current 3.5% sub-quota reservation for the Backward Class (BC) category to 7%. The party held a massive demonstration on November 16, 2025, in Chennai to press its demand.
Chief Minister M.K Stalin has claimed Tamil Nadu is a “fortress” for Muslims, claiming that under the DMK rule, Tamil Nadu is the safest state for Muslims.
The DMK government has announced that Islamic studies would be introduced into the school syllabus after the 1500th year celebrations of Prophet Muhammad in 2025.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launched a scholarship program in September 2025 for 2,000 Muslim students annually, providing ₹10,000 each for higher education through the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board.
Communal situation in Tamil Nadu: Reports in late 2025 noted isolated incidents of violence, such as an attack on a Muslim individual, leading to concerns about local security.
Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ), a political party in Tamil Nadu, held a youth conference that slammed attempts to communalize local incidents.
The Students’ Islamic Organization of India (SIO) has urged the state government to make a law against hate speeches and targeted attacks on Muslims.
Thol. Thirumavalavan, the prominent Dalit leader and head of a political party, VCK, has urged the state government to release 37 Muslim life convicts who have been in prison for over 25 years, most of them convicted in the Coimbatore bomb blast case of February 14, 1998.
In Madurai, despite tensions regarding a “deepam” (lamp) row at the Thiruparankundram hilltop Dargah, the Santhanakoodu festival in December 2025 passed off peacefully. The event serves as a display of Hindu-Muslim harmony, with local leaders emphasizing peaceful coexistence.
Tamil Nadu recognizes 10 Muslim change-makers in the state. These individuals have brought social change through education, the arts, and activism. Notable figures include activist Sharifa Khanam, who supports battered women; rapper and activist Sofia Ashraf; and educator Nikath Fathima Sohail, among others.
Tamil Nadu is a top-performing state in India’s development indices, consistently ranking among the top 3-5 states in the Human Development Index (HDI). It is the second-largest state economy, contributes significantly to national GDP, and excels in education, health, and industrialization.