Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin pays floral tribute to Thanthai Periyar on his death anniversary, in Chennai, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023.
PTI Photo
Chennai: The 50th death anniversary of 'Periyar' E V Ramasamy, founder of Dravidar Kazhagam (DK), was observed on Sunday with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin along with his cabinet colleagues offering floral tributes to the portrait of the rationalist leader, here.
Born on September 17, 1879, Periyar, founder of the self-respect movement, fought for social equality and a respected icon across party lines.
He breathed his last on December 24, 1973.
The DMK soon assuming office in May 2021 announced that the birth anniversary of Periyar would be observed as 'Social Justice Day' in Tamil Nadu every year.
The self-respect movement by Periyar, had a major role in the progress of the state. The movement led people of underprivileged castes to stand up for themselves and thus change the oppressive social order to a large extent.
Meanwhile, the Congress party also offered its tributes to Periyar on the occasion.
"On his death anniversary, we pay our humble tributes to 'Periyar' E V Ramasamy, the Father of the Dravidian Movement. He founded the Self-Respect Movement, which aimed at redemption of the Tamil identity, the eradication of caste, and the establishment of a rationalist society," the Congress party said in a social media post.