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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin paid solemn tribute to Thanthai Periyar E.V. Ramasamy on his memorial day, laying floral tributes and recalling his transformative impact on Indian society. Honoring the visionary rationalist who led the Self-Respect Movement, Stalin described Periyar as the intellectual fountainhead of modern Tamil Nadu whose uncompromising crusade dismantled oppressive caste orthodoxies, religious dogmas, and patriarchal social structures.

The Chief Minister emphasized that Periyar's radical philosophy of human equality and self-respect serves as the guiding ideological compass for the Dravidian Model of governance. From institutionalizing universal reservation and protecting women's autonomy to fostering scientific temper and social equality, the state's policies are deeply rooted in Periyar's egalitarian vision. Stalin stated that Periyar's teachings are more relevant than ever today in countering reactionary religious fundamentalism and caste chauvinism across the country.

Stalin urged the youth, students, and party cadre to imbibe Periyar's scientific inquiry and rationalist outlook. He pledged that Tamil Nadu will steadfastly safeguard its progressive identity, remaining an unyielding fortress of social justice, secularism, and equality that continues to resist retrograde forces and defend constitutional democracy against any ideological assault.