Reversing a previous AIADMK government’s decision, the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu on Saturday said the state’s Formation Day will now be celebrated on July 18, in lines with the rechristening of its name to the present one and not on November 1. Chief minister MK Stalin’s announcement in this connection drew the AIADMK’s criticism, which alleged it was done due to “political vendetta”.
K Palaniswami, as chief minister in 2019, had announced Tamil Nadu Day will be observed on November 1 following requests from various quarters then. On Saturday, chief minister Stalin said on November 1, 1956, Linguistic Reorganisation of States was done in the country following which parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala “went away” from the then Madras State. Subsequently, the previous government had announced November 1 from 2019 as Tamil Nadu Day, he said.
However, various sections including political parties, Tamil scholars, activists and associations have been insisting that November 1 would only signify the “border struggle” and that it would not be appropriate to celebrate the day as Tamil Nadu Day, he said in a statement. They had suggested that July 18 — when Tamil Nadu got its present name following an assembly legislation heralded by Dravidian veteran and late chief minister CN Annadurai — should be the day to be celebrated as the state’s formation day, he added.
“After carefully considering the pleas of various organisations, a government order will soon be issued to celebrate July 18, when mother Tamil Nadu was named as Tamil Nadu by Anna,” as the state’s formation day, the CM added. Further, as a special gesture, 110 people involved in the “border struggle” will be honoured with Rs 1 lakh each on November 1, he said.
The opposition AIADMK lashed out at the government’s decision to change the state’s formation day celebrations. “Just because Palaniswami had announced that November 1 will be celebrated as Tamil Nadu Day, I condemn portraying history according to your convenience (due to) political vendetta,” party spokesperson Kovai Sathyan said in a tweet, tagging Stalin and top party leaders O Panneerselvam and Palaniswami.
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