Stalin to unveil Periyar’s portrait at Oxford University on Sept 4

The Tamil Nadu CM said he will unveil the portrait to mark the centenary of the Self Respect Movement, and release two books that chronicle its hundred year journey and living legacy.

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday urged DMK cadres to be “vigilant and prepared” to ensure that an exercise like the Special Voter Revision (SIR) is not conducted in Tamil Nadu by the Election Commission of India (ECI) before the 2026 assembly elections.

Speaking at the wedding ceremony of DMK Rajya Sabha MP N R Elango’s daughter, Stalin proudly announced that he will unveil a portrait of social reformer E V R Periyar at the prestigious Oxford University in London on September 4 during his upcoming visit to Germany and the UK starting Saturday.

Stalin, who attended a rally in Bihar on August 27 along with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, discussed the SIR exercise in Bihar and emphasized the need to raise awareness among people about irregularities in the voter lists.

“To ensure such a situation does not arise in Tamil Nadu, we must remain vigilant and prepared. That’s why our N R Elango is actively engaged in all efforts to prevent such issues. On behalf of the party leadership, I wholeheartedly commend and congratulate him at this moment,” Stalin said.

The Chief Minister also mentioned that Elango heads one of the party’s war rooms, maintaining a team of lawyers, training polling booth agents, and ensuring their readiness. “He works tirelessly as a frontline warrior in the electoral battlefield,” Stalin added.

Regarding his foreign trip, Stalin said he will unveil a portrait of Periyar, who advocated several social reforms including women’s rights, at Oxford University, which he described as renowned for producing some of the world’s greatest intellectuals.

“Though Periyar was born in Tamil Nadu and spoke and wrote in Tamil, his ideas are universal. The principles he emphasized -- self-respect, rationalism, women’s liberation, rejection of inequality, self-confidence, and equality for all -- know no boundaries,” Stalin said.

In a post on his X page, Stalin said he will unveil the portrait to mark the centenary of the Self Respect Movement, and release two books that chronicle its hundred year journey and living legacy. 

 “Before an assembly of international scholars, the movement that set ablaze caste tyranny and burned down barriers of gender in Tamil Nadu will be placed in dialogue with struggles worldwide for dignity, equality and freedom. Periyar’s ideals of equality are not bounded by borders, they belong to humanity as a whole,” he added. 

Besides meeting industrialists to attract investment into Tamil Nadu, Stalin will meet office bearers of DMK’s NRI Wing in Germany, address a gathering at Oxford University, and interact with Tamils in both countries.

This is Stalin’s fifth visit abroad since assuming office in 2021, following trips to the UAE, Singapore and Japan, Spain, and the US. He noted on Friday that his government has attracted investments worth Rs 10 lakh crore, with the Global Investors’ Meet in 2024 alone garnering over Rs 6 lakh crore in investments.