People without glorious past feel bitter when we speak, says Stalin

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday said that people without a glorious past feel bitter when Tamils speak of their past pride.

Delivering his address at the 35th convention of FeTNA (Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America) via video call this morning, Stalin referred to the archaeological finds, mainly Keezhadi and Porunai unearthed in the recent past, and said, “Some people construct their history through fictitious stories. But, we are not like that. We declare after verifying the historical evidence.”

Recalling his earlier Assembly speech in which he declared that the history of the Indian subcontinent should be written from the Tamil landscape, the Chief Minister said, “I state this not just to trumpet our glorious past. There is nothing wrong in speaking about the past pride. We speak of past pride because we have a glorious past. Antiquity of Tamil landscape is not some past pride and fiction. It is historic.”

“Some people feel bitter about what we speak because they do not have any pride to speak about,” the Chief Minister remarked, quoting the immortal lines of Bharathidasan who sung, “Veelvathu naamaga iruppinum, vaalvathu Tamilaga irukkatum,” (Let Tamil flourish even if we fall).

Advising FeTNA members to ignore divisive ideas and prioritise thoughts that unite people, Stalin said, “Do not attach importance to divisions in Tamil Nadu even after reaching foreign land. Live like brethren. Achieve progress in education, jobs and industrial growth. Like a tree that never dissociates from its roots, you should never detach from Tamil Nadu. Let us unite in the name of Tamil Nadu. Only Tamil has the strength to unite. Only language has the strength to defeat the evils of caste and religion. I do not mean any religion. We only oppose the use of religion to divide Tamils.”

Describing caste as the number one force that divides Tamil race, Stalin said that at a time when forces dividing Tamils in the name of religion and caste are growing, only Tamil language has the capacity to unite us.