Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin unveiled a portrait of social reformer EV Ramasamy Periyar at Oxford University in England on Friday. Stalin described the event as the 'greatest honour' of his life, stating it represented a global recognition of the Dravidian leader’s philosophy.
Speaking at the London Self-Respect Movement Conference, Stalin said he was attending not only as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), but also as “Periyar’s grandson in ideals.” He emphasised that Periyar had "fed self-respect to a whole race" and that his philosophy had extended beyond Tamil Nadu to inspire humanity worldwide.
"To unveil the portrait of Thanthai Periyar, the Sun of Rationalism and the Champion of Knowledge, at Oxford, I consider it the greatest honour of my life. This unveiling stands as a symbol that the flame of rationalism continues to spread across the world," Stalin said. He added that the university represented not only knowledge but also human rights, which made the honour even more significant.
The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to professors Faisal Devji and James Mallinson and other scholars for organising the international conference. He said the conference reflected the globalisation of the Self-Respect Movement, which Periyar had founded in 1925. Recalling the centenary celebrations held at Oxford in 1983, he said it was a matter of pride that "once again, the light of Periyar’s rationalism is shining here."
Stalin reiterated that Periyarism stood for self-respect, rationalism, equality, humanity, women’s empowerment, secularism, scientific temper, and the rejection of caste and gender discrimination. He recalled that "the word that Periyar cherished most was 'self-respect'." He once said, ‘Bring me any dictionary in the world — you will not find a word more powerful than this.’”
The conference also saw the release of “The Cambridge Companion to Periyar,” an English research volume compiled by scholars AR Venkatachalapathy and Karthick Ram Manoharan. Stalin described the book as proof of Periyar’s growing global recognition, noting that his philosophy was universal and transcended boundaries of language, geography, and community.
Stalin traced Periyar’s reformist legacy, mentioning his campaigns for social justice, women’s property rights, widow remarriage, inter-caste marriages, and the abolition of untouchability. He described Periyar’s work as “revolutions without weapons” and said that Tamil Nadu was the only state where a social reform movement had evolved into a political force, influencing constitutional principles and laws that uplifted marginalised groups.
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Stalin highlighted that many of Periyar’s ideas had been enacted into law under successive Dravidian governments, including the Self-Respect Marriage Act introduced by CN Annadurai and social justice reforms by M Karunanidhi. He said that the progress of women, educational gains among the oppressed, and the state’s growth in industry, infrastructure, and welfare all reflected the realisation of Periyar’s vision.
Reflecting on Periyar’s legacy, Stalin said, "What he sowed in this society was not atheism, but rationalism. He said, ‘Even if I myself say something, accept it only if it agrees with your intellect — if not, leave it.’” He added that the recognition from Oxford and the publication from Cambridge were evidence that Periyar’s principles of rationalism and science had enduring global resonance.
The Chief Minister concluded with a call to spread Periyar’s principles of social justice and equality worldwide. “Periyar is becoming global. Let the world become one that values humanity,” he said, thanking the organisers for creating an event that, despite being in London, felt "as though I am in Tamil Nadu itself."
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