சுயமரியாதைக் கொள்கையைக் காத்து, சமூக நீதியை நாட்டிடவே நமது கால்கள் பயன்படவேண்டும். தொண்டர்கள் அனைவரும் காலில் விழும் பழக்கத்தை தவிர்க்கவும்....

DMK leader M.K. Stalin issued a direct and unambiguous directive to party workers on January 7, 2017, instructing everyone to shun the practice of falling at leaders' feet. Stalin declared that our legs must be used exclusively to march forward in defense of self-respect principles and to establish social justice across Tamil society, rather than prostrating before individuals.

Stalin reminded cadres that the self-respect movement had spent nearly a century teaching Tamils to stand erect with dignity, shed caste inferiority, and reject feudal subjugation. He criticized the sycophantic political culture practiced in other parties where ministers and cadres prostrated publicly before leaders. Such behavior, he argued, disgraced the ideological legacy of Periyar, Anna, and Kalaignar, who championed personal honor and democratic equality throughout their lives.

The opposition leader appealed to party workers to maintain self-esteem and meet leadership on an equal, dignified footing. Stalin stated that genuine loyalty was demonstrated through dedicated public service, ideological commitment, and organizational discipline rather than humiliating displays of servitude. He reiterated that the DMK remained an army of self-respecting soldiers dedicated to emancipating society.