Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined a Pongal event at Union minister L. Murugan’s Delhi residence, calling the harvest festival a global celebration and describing Tamil culture as a shared heritage of humanity.
- Modi highlighted sustainable agriculture and farmer dignity, citing initiatives such as Mission LIFE, Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam, Amrit Sarovar and Per Drop, More Crop, while urging natural farming, water conservation and agri‑tech adoption.
- Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin led Secretariat celebrations, promoted a “Dravidian Model 2.0” of governance and said his administration would work to meet people’s needs by 2030.
- The state announced a Pongal package of Rs 3,000 in cash plus festival hampers for over 2.2 crore rice‑ration card families, including traditional gifts such as dhotis and sarees.
- Festivities peaked across Tamil Nadu with Chennai Sangamam cultural programmes and Jallikattu in Madurai under court guidelines, as commentators viewed both the Centre’s messaging and the state’s welfare rollout as election‑year outreach.