'பனகல் அரசர்' குறித்த புத்தகம்தான் திருவாரூர் பள்ளியில் தலைவர் கலைஞருக்கு அரசியல் அரிச்சுவடியாகி சுயமரியாதை இயக்கத்தை நோக்கி ஈர்த்தது....

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin commemorated former Madras Presidency Premier Panagal Raja on his birth anniversary, highlighting his profound ideological impact on Tamil Nadu's social justice movement. Stalin recounted that reading a biographical work about Panagal Raja during school days in Tiruvarur introduced former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to political principles and steered him toward the Self-Respect Movement founded by Periyar E.V. Ramasamy. He described Panagal Raja as an exceptional defender of democratic equality whose governance pioneered inclusive public policies.

Panagal Raja, who led the Justice Party administration in the 1920s, established administrative precedents that challenged caste-based monopolies in education and civil employment. Stalin noted that early Dravidian pioneers recognized that political autonomy remains incomplete without dismantling entrenched social hierarchies. Karunanidhi often credited Panagal Raja's resolute governance with shaping his own lifelong commitment to egalitarian reform, institutionalizing reservation policies, and promoting backward classes into public administration.

The Chief Minister called upon citizens and public servants to draw inspiration from Panagal Raja's enduring contributions. Stalin pledged that the current DMK administration will march forward guided by the inclusive principle of everything for everyone, ensuring social welfare and opportunities reach every household across Tamil Nadu.