Chennai, Sept 17 (BPNS)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin said that Dravida leader E.V. Ramasamy popularly known as Periyar sowed the seeds of social justice in the minds of Tamil people in all walks of life.
Chief Minister in a tweet on Friday said “ Today on his birthday we pay homage to Periyar, the rationalist who sowed the seeds of social justice in the minds of the people in all walks of life. Tamil Nadu was resurrected only after his birth. It became a society of dignity and knowledge.”
Stalin has earlier declared September 17, the birth anniversary of Periyar as Social Justice Day. The 143rd birth anniversary of the social reformer was celebrated on Friday with the Chief Minister paying floral tributes at the statue of the social reformer at Mount Road near Chindaripet.
In another tweet, the Chief Minister said, “I took the pledge of social justice on such a glorious birthday. Entire Tamil Nadu undertook the pledge. We will set up an egalitarian society on your path.”
Periyar was born on September 17, 1879 and passed away on December 24, 1973. Chief Minister reminiscing the great Dravida leader after offering floral tributes said that Periyar was responsible for the enactment of the first Constitutional Amendment Act that had safeguarded the reservation for backward classes.
Stalin said that Periyar’s ideology was all about social justice, self-respect, rationalism, and equality which laid down the foundation for the growth of Tamil society in the last century. He also said this foundation would help to pave way for the future of Tamil society also.
The staff and officials of the secretariat later undertook a pledge administered by the Chief Minister, stating that they would follow the footsteps of Periyar’s ideology based on social justice, self-respect, rationalism and equality.
Member of Parliament’s TR Balu and Kanimozhi were present with Stalin while he was offering floral tributes to the departed social reformer.
