Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin today informed the Assembly that the Tamilnadu government has decided to celebrate every year the birth anniversary of reformist leader E V Ramasamy ‘Periyar’ on 17 September as ‘Social Justice Day’.
‘Periyar’s ideology was all about social justice, self-respect, rationalism and equality, which laid the foundation stone for the Tamil society’s growth during the last century and it would also pave the way for the future’, Stalin said under Rule 110.
He added: ‘Hence, the government has decided to celebrate the leader’s birth anniversary every year to serve as a symbolic reinforcement of his egalitarian principles’.
He added: ‘EVR Periyar fought for social justice till the age of 95. The struggles that he went through are irreplaceable. It will take 10 days to talk about his struggles and the reforms that he brought in.’
On Periyar’s birthday, employees in all government offices including the State Secretariat would take pledges to follow values based on such lofty ideals which includes, brotherhood, equality, self-respect and rationalism, he said.