Stalin unveils Periyar portrait at Oxford univ

PERIYAR E V Ramasamy's rational light now shines across the world, and the movement he launched a century ago redefined freedom, causing chains to crumble and dignity to rise, said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin while unveiling a portrait of the social reformer at a conference commemorating the centenary of the self-respect movement at Oxford University in the UK on Thursday During his commemorative address at the two-day conference, 'The Self-Respect Movement and its Legacies', organised by the Asian Studies Centre at the university, the CM said, "Periyar was born in TN and spoke in Tamil, but his ideas transcended boundaries.

- 

His philosophy is not confined to a land, a language, or a people." The portrait was painted by Thota Tharani, an artist and art director. It will be housed in the Asian Studies Centre at the university's St Anthony's College "TN is advancing in every sphere. We have made significant advancements in education, economy, industrial growth, standard of living, and infrastructure. This is the achievement of the Dravidian movement. We are showing in action in TN the growth envisioned by Periyar." He added, "I will not say we have fulfilled all of Periyar's dreams. The growth we have achieved in these 100 years is like a child learning to walk.