Let us commit ourselves to build an economically stronger India w/ secularism& Grama Swaraj as guiding principles at its core #GandhiJayanti...

DMK working president M.K. Stalin paid respectful homage to Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, 2017, marking Gandhi Jayanti with an urgent call to protect India's pluralist and democratic fabric. Stalin urged all citizens to rededicate themselves to building an economically resilient, equitable nation founded on the core principles of secularism and Grama Swaraj (decentralized village self-rule). He noted that true national progress could only be achieved by empowering local grassroots self-governance institutions and fostering harmonious communal brotherhood.

Stalin observed that India's foundational democratic ideals faced severe challenges from polarizing sectarian politics and centralized economic models that marginalized rural communities. He emphasized that Mahatma Gandhi's vision emphasized local self-reliance, rural cottage industries, and communal harmony across religious denominations. Neglecting rural agrarian economies while concentrating economic decision-making in elite urban centers directly contradicted the foundational goals of the national freedom struggle.

The DMK leader stressed that administrative decentralization and social harmony remained imperative for sustainable regional prosperity. He affirmed that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam would continue championing grassroots panchayat autonomy, village economic development, civic empowerment, and secular constitutional values to build an inclusive society.