Overview
- Political leaders and dignitaries gathered at Mount Road in Chennai and in Thoothukudi to lay floral tributes at Periyar’s statues as part of the public commemorations.
- Assembly Speaker JCD Prabakar, Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin and state ministers including Aadhav Arjuna, Maria Wilson and Raj Mohan were among those who paid homage in Chennai.
- DMK President M K Stalin posted on X urging cadres to observe the day as Social Justice Day, take pledges in party offices, garland Periyar’s statues and renew party flags to mark the party’s 78th year.
- Coverage emphasized Periyar’s reformist legacy — the Self‑Respect Movement’s promotion of rationalism, gender equality and anti‑caste reforms — as the ideological basis for the day’s observances.
- Reporters placed the anniversary in its historical context by noting the 1925 launch of the Tamil weekly Kudi Arasu and Periyar’s break with the Indian National Congress as key steps that shaped the Dravidian movement and modern Tamil Nadu politics.