Requested President Pranab Mukherjee to confer the highest civilian award 'Bharat Ratna' to Arignar Anna. http://t.co/v68p7lHJdB

Advocating for the highest national recognition for one of modern India's most extraordinary statesmen, DMK Treasurer M. K. Stalin formally petitioned President Pranab Mukherjee on August 24, 2014, requesting the posthumous conferment of the nation's premier civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, on former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Perarignar C. N. Annadurai. In his comprehensive representation, Stalin detailed Anna's monumental contributions to Indian democracy, federal governance, parliamentary eloquence, and progressive social transformation. He highlighted that Anna fundamentally reshaped post-independence Indian politics by leading the DMK to historical victory through democratic electoral methods, demonstrating how regional aspirations could strengthen the national democratic fabric. As Chief Minister, Anna legally institutionalized self-respect marriages, established subsidized food security measures, and officially renamed Madras State as Tamil Nadu, creating an enduring legacy of egalitarian governance. Stalin pointed out that conferring the Bharat Ratna on Anna would honor not only a towering literary genius and humanist leader, but also the collective cultural pride and democratic aspirations of the entire Tamil people. He urged the President and Union government to recognize Anna's exceptional nation-building legacy without further delay.