இன்று பகுத்தறிவுப் பகலவன் தந்தை பெரியாரின் 137-வது பிறந்த நாள். அவரது கொள்கைகளுக்கு வலுவூட்ட உறுதி ஏற்போம். http://t.co/t7F8JWJ7Yu

On the auspicious occasion of the 137th birth anniversary of Thanthai Periyar, the venerated father of the Dravidian rationalist movement, in September 2015, DMK Treasurer M. K. Stalin paid glowing floral tributes to the visionary revolutionary. Hailing Periyar as the 'Sun of Rationalism' (Pagutharivu Pagalavan), Stalin reflected on the profound, enduring legacy of the Self-Respect Movement, which dismantled rigid caste hierarchies, pioneered affirmative action, fought for women's liberation, and eradicated superstition across Tamil society. Stalin emphasized that Periyar's radical philosophy was not a relic of the past, but an indispensable guiding light for contemporary democratic struggles against regressive casteist, communal, and patriarchal forces seeking to roll back hard-won social gains. He called upon youth, intellectuals, and party cadres to reaffirm their solemn pledge to defend social justice, scientific temper, and self-respect principles in every sphere of public life. Stalin asserted that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam drew its core ideological lifeblood from Periyar's teachings, vowing that the party would relentlessly fight to preserve reservation rights, protect state autonomy, and build an egalitarian society where every human being enjoys equal dignity, educational opportunity, and constitutional rights without discrimination.