CHENNAI: The state government has selected Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani for the Thagaisal Thamizhar (distinguished Tamil) award for the year 2023. The state government instituted the Thagaisal Thamizhar award in 2021 to honour eminent personalities who contributed to the development of Tamil Nadu and Tamils.

A committee constituted to select the awardee met under the leadership of Chief Minister MK Stalin here and decided to confer the award for this year on Veeramani for his outstanding contribution to the development of the State and Tamils. A release issued by the state government in this regard said that the committee meeting selected Veeramani who has been imprisoned 40 times for attending the protests and campaigns led by Thanthai Periyar in support of the marginalized people discriminated in the society.

The government, in its award announcement, also acknowledged the outstanding contribution of Veermani as editor of Viduthalai magazine, mouthpiece of Dravidar Kazhagam, for over 60 years since 1962, Unmai (Truth), Periyar Pinju (Children's magazine) and The Modern Rationalist in sustaining the efforts of Periyar.

DMK to take out rally on Karunanidhi's death anniversary

The ruling DMK would take out a peace rally from the Kalaignar statue on Anna Salai to his memorial on the death anniversary of former chief minister and party president M Karunanidhi on August 7. In a statement, the DMK appealed to its six district secretaries in the state capital to make elaborate arrangements for the peace rally to be led by Chief Minister M K Stalin from Kalaignar's statue on Omandurai complex to the late former Chief Minister's memorial Kamarajar Salai. Stalin would pay floral tributes in his late dad's memorial on Marina then.