Paid homage to Thanthai Periyar, the leader who fought for self respect & social justice, on his 136th birthday. http://t.co/HlOXbPex5j

Commemorating the 136th birth anniversary of Dravidian icon Thanthai Periyar E. V. Ramasamy on September 17, 2014, DMK Treasurer M. K. Stalin paid floral tributes to the visionary leader whose transformative crusade established social justice, rationalism, and gender equality across Tamil Nadu. Stalin recalled that Periyar's pioneering Self-Respect Movement dismantled entrenched feudal orthodoxies and caste hierarchies, laying the ideological bedrock for modern Tamil society. By instilling self-worth among historically disenfranchised communities, Periyar ensured that human dignity and equal opportunity became non-negotiable foundations of democratic public policy. Stalin observed that the Dravidian movement drew its core governance philosophy directly from Periyar's egalitarian teachings, which inspired landmark welfare policies, universal education initiatives, and affirmative action programs implemented by previous DMK administrations under Dr. Kalaignar Karunanidhi. Paying homage at Periyar Thidal, Stalin urged party cadres to protect the progressive legacy of the Dravidian movement against regressive forces that threaten social harmony. He emphasized that safeguarding communal harmony, defending state rights, and championing the dignity of marginalized citizens remain the fundamental guiding responsibilities for the DMK, rededicating the party to continuing Periyar's enduring struggle for true social equality.