Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday appealed to students to imbibe the ideals of equality, fraternity, social justice, self-respect and rationalism which, he said, were integral to Tamil Nadu and gave the State a distinct character.
Addressing the birth centenary year celebrations of late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, organised by the State Minorities Commission, in which students who won prizes in State-level elocution competitions were felicitated, Mr. Stalin said they should follow humanity and discard the ideologies that tarnished their thinking.
He said the young orators identified through the elocution competitions will be the greatest asset for Tamil Nadu. He said it was through orations and writings that the Dravidian Movement grew in the State.
He said that whenever the DMK was in power, it had always worked for the welfare of the minorities. He recalled that it was the DMK that brought in the 3.5% internal reservation for Backward Class Muslims in 2007. He said the current government was also carrying out several initiatives for the welfare of the minorities.
An official press release said that over 4,000 college students took part in the competitions, conducted in Tamil and English, across the State. Those who won the top three prizes received a cash prize of ₹1 lakh, ₹50,000 and ₹25,000, respectively. A total of 228 students, who secured the top three places at the district level, received a cash prize of ₹20,000, ₹10,000 and ₹5,000, respectively.
Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ma. Subramanian, Minorities Welfare and Non Resident Tamils Welfare Minister Gingee K.S. Masthan, State Minorities Commission Chairperson S. Peter Alphonse, and senior officials took part in the function.
