CHENNAI: Accepting representations from various organisations, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday announced that July 18 will hereafter be celebrated as Tamil Nadu Day and a government order to this effect will be issued soon. However, the AIADMK and PMK opposed the announcement.
Stalin’s announcement came a day after Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani, Suba Veerapandian, general secretary of the Dravida Iyakka Thamizh Peravai, Thamizh Unarvalargal Kootamaippu led by Tamil scholar Solomon Pappaiah made a representation to the government, saying July 18 should be declared as Tamil Nadu Day.
The CM, in a statement here, said on November 1, 1956, States were reorganised on a linguistic basis. Accordingly, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, and some parts of Kerala were moved out of the then Madras State. In 2019, the then government in power declared November 1 as Tamil Nadu Day.
“However, many political parties, Tamil scholars, Tamil organisations, and others conveyed to the government that celebrating November 1 will only remember the 1956 struggle to retain certain places on the border with Tamil Nadu,” the chief minister said.
He added that the Tamil scholars and others also said former CM CN Annadurai had renamed the then Madras State as Tamil Nadu on July 18, 1967, and passed a resolution in this regard on that day. Citing this, the Tamil scholars have been demanding that July 18 be declared as Tamil Nadu Day.
Stalin also announced that the 110 leaders who took part in the struggle to protect Tamil Nadu’s borders during the reorganisation of States in 1956 would be honoured with Rs 1 lakh each on November 1. The State government has been honouring martyrs of the 1956 struggle by giving them a monthly pension of Rs 5,500 and Rs 500 as medical allowance. Also, 137 legal heirs of the martyrs of the 1956 struggle are given Rs 3,000 per month and a medical allowance of Rs 500.
Reacting to the announcement sharply, AIADMK spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said, “Just because former CM Edappadi K Palaniswami declared November 1 as Tamil Nadu Day, you are now twisting history for your convenience. I condemn this politics of hatred.”
PMK founder S Ramadoss said: “The day of naming cannot become the day of birth. November 1, when the boundaries of present Tamil Nadu were decided historically, should be celebrated as the formation day of the State. The chief minister’s decision cannot be accepted.” He also pointed out that when November 1 was declared as Tamil Nadu Formation Day in 2019, the entire State accepted it.