April 14 to be marked as Equality Day in memory of BR Ambedkar: Stalin

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday made an announcement in the Assembly under Rule 110, saying the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar (April 14) will be observed as ‘Samathuva Naal’ (Equality Day), and a pledge will be administered on that day.

A demand to this effect was put forth during Tuesday’s State Vigilance and Monitoring Committee Meeting, held on behalf of the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department, the chief minister said, adding that the idea is to commemorate the day like how Periyar’s birthday is observed as ‘Social Justice Day’.

“Based on their demand, Ambedkar’s birth anniversary will be celebrated as ‘Equality Day’ and a pledge for equality will be taken across the State,” the chief minister said, adding that a life-size bronze statue of the departed leader will be erected at the Ambedkar memorial.

The chief minister recalled that former Union minister and Nilgiris MP A Raja once put forth a demand to translate books authored by BR Ambedkar into Tamil. “His demand has been accepted. The Tamil Nadu government will publish select books of Ambedkar.”

Members of various parties in Tamil Nadu, including M Jagan Moorthy, T Velmurugan, ER Eswaran, Abdul Samad, T Sadhan Thirumalaikumar, K Marimuthu, VP Nagalimaali, M Sinthanai Selvan, Vanathi Srinivasan, GK Mani, K Selvaperunthagai, and O Panneerselvam welcomed the chief minister’s announcement.

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan too welcomed the announcement and urged the government to display a documentary on the departed leader at the Ambedkar memorial. VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, along with four party MLAs, met Stalin in his chamber and thanked him for the announcement.

To be observed at all DMK district units
Stalin urged DMK cadre to celebrate Equality Day at the party’s district unit offices and all the 238 Periyar Memorial Samathuvapuram in TN