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Referring to injustices and discriminatory practices heaped on many sections of the society, he said nothing changed on its own.
Published Mar 07, 2023 | 2:45 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 07, 2023 | 2:45 PM
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin (Twitter)
Social justice is the only “first and last” goal of the Dravidian movement and the struggle for social justice would continue, DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said in Kanniyakumari.
Addressing the completion of the 200th year of the upper cloth revolution for dignity and justice on Monday, 6 March, Stalin listed out the social reforms initiated during the Justice Party regime in the British era including education for all and banning marriages of children.
Referring to injustices heaped on many sections of the society and discriminatory practices in the name of religion, caste and puranas, he said nothing changed on its own.
Honoured to participate in the 200th anniversary of the historic Thol Sheelai Porattam aka Channar Revolt, alongside thiru @mkstalin, organised by @tncpim. Its memory inspires us to fight against the Sangh Parivar led neoliberal communal regime's denial of rights and injustices. pic.twitter.com/1Szfa7Vuuw
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) March 6, 2023
It was due to the work of several reformist leaders including Ayya Vaikundar, he said. Towards complete social justice, the struggle would continue, he asserted.
The upper cloth revolution is a valorous struggle in the annals of Tamil Nadu’s struggle for social justice, he said.
In the then princely State of Travancore (now Kanniyakumari district), women who belonged to an oppressed caste were not allowed to wear upper cloth to cover their chests. Those who tried to cover themselves with clothes were tortured and even a tax was imposed, he said.
“Could there be injustice more than this,” Stalin asked. A woman, who did not pay tax, cut off her breasts and today that is a place of worship, the chief minister said.
The upper cloth revolution in the early 19th century in the State of Travancore was against the practice of women who belong to an oppressed caste not being allowed to wear upper cloth to cover their chests.
Recalling the setting up of a large number of schools during former chief minister K Kamaraj’s Congress regime, Stalin said similarly, primacy was accorded to education for all castes by former chief ministers, CN Annadurai and M Karunanidhi.
The ‘Dravidian model’ government led by him is all about uplifting people from all communities (socially, politically and economically) and the government ensures the importance of higher education and research.
The Tamil Nadu chief minister conveyed his desire to his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan that both the state governments should come together to celebrate the centenary of the Vaikom movement.
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