Leaders reignite debate over Tamil Nadu formation day
Stalin paid tributes on the occasion of the Border Martyrs Day, recalling the contribution of those who had struggled for the inclusion of Tamil-speaking areas in the state
Tamil Nadu leaders on Friday reignited the debate over the formation day of the state. While late stalwarts M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa never celebrated the occasion, the AIADMK government in 2019 — led by then chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami — declared November 1 as the “Tamil Nadu Day”.
The DMK government led by chief minister MK Stalin had in 2021 declared July 18, the day the state assembly adopted a resolution to rename the Madras state into Tamil Nadu in 1967, as the Tamil Nadu Day. Stalin had also announced that the state would observe November 1 as the “Border Saviours” day in memory of the people who fought to safeguard the borders when states were formed on linguistic basis.
On Friday, Stalin paid tributes on the occasion of the Border Martyrs Day, recalling the contribution of those who had struggled for the inclusion of Tamil-speaking areas in the southern state.
“November 1 is a day to honour the sacrifice of heroes who fought in many places in the Southern and Northern parts of Tamil Nadu and protected the state’s border,” Stalin said in a post on X. “On Border Struggle Martyrs’ Day, I salute all those who fought for the merger of Tamil-speaking areas with Tamil Nadu,” he added.
Actor-politician Vijay on Friday batted for celebrating November 1 as the Tamil Nadu Day for it came into being as a separate state for Tamils.
“Sankaralinganar, a Tamil scholar, died after undertaking a fast unto death demanding the renaming of Madras as Tamil Nadu. Keeping this mind, C N Annadurai passed a resolution in the Assembly to rename the state as Tamil Nadu. We also remember the sacrifices of the border warriors who fought to ensure that Tamil areas remained in Tamil Nadu,” Vijay posted on X.
Vijay, who launched his Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) earlier this year, held the fledgling party’s first conference last week. “Let us celebrate this day (November 1) as Tamil Nadu Day with historical memories. It is on this day, a separate state was born for Tamils,” he said.
Vijay’s stand that the state day should be celebrated on November 1 is significant since it is similar to the AIADMK. During his conference last week, Vijay declared that he will follow the Dravidian ideology and positioned himself as the prime challenger to the DMK as his political enemy and the BJP as his ideological enemy.
Vijay did not mention the AIADMK in his speech and EPS in response had said that since they are functioning as an effective opposition, Vijay had not attacked them.