Vaikkom centenary: CM Stalin’s moment to formalise inheritance of Periyar’s legacy
On Thursday when he inaugurates the renovated memorial and library of Periyar at Vaikkom in Kerala on the centenary, Stalin would etch his name in the Dravidian archive as another pupil who did his bit in power to immortalise rationalist EV Ramasamy ‘Periyar’, just like his party founder CN Annadurai and father M Karunanidhi did over a half-century ago.
Chief Minister MK Stalin; Periyar Memorial
CHENNAI: Ever since proclaiming his government in May 2021 as an extension of the Justice Party, Chief Minister MK Stalin has successfully travelled a long way on the Dravidian ideological path.
On Thursday when he inaugurates the renovated memorial and library of Periyar at Vaikkom in Kerala on the centenary, Stalin would etch his name in the Dravidian archive as another pupil who did his bit in power to immortalise rationalist EV Ramasamy ‘Periyar’, just like his party founder CN Annadurai and father M Karunanidhi did over a half-century ago.
Though Stalin has done quite a handful in power, the “all caste archakas” scheme and exhausting emphasis on social justice to name a few, like his two aforementioned predecessors, to assert his ideological moorings as the State CM and DMK president, Thursday’s centenary celebration of the historic Vaikkom struggle in Kottayam district would be his defining moment in formalising his inheritance of the Periyar legacy.
It should come as no surprise that a prudent Stalin even dispatched one of his senior go-getter Minister EV Velu two days before the December 12 inauguration to oversee the arrangements for the centenary celebration to be chaired by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Hours before leaving for Kottayam, Stalin announced the recipient of the first Vaikkom Award instituted by his government, which allocated Rs 8.14 crore for the memorial works in Kerala.
Why would he not do it when the rationalist ideology his party was built and groomed on is believed to be the bulwark against the Hindutva ideology pushed by the BJP-led union government?
DMK insiders were not averse to admitting that though the electoral stage of the Dravidian hinterland was still dichotomous and divided between the DMK and AIADMK, the ideological realm of the State has transgressed into a battle between the Dravidian and Hindutva school of thoughts and hence their leadership was keen on showcasing the ideological roots as and when the opportunity popped up. Significantly, it was not just the DMK.
Even the Dravidar Kazhagam, the parent of the DMK and the true descendent of Periyar has also released some books coinciding with the centenary, including a novel “Naalu theru katha” (A story of four streets) authored by the party’s Ki Thalapathi Raj, a fictional account of the Vaikkom struggle.