PMK demands Tamil Nadu day be observed on November 1, not July 18

CHENNAI: PMK leader and former union minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday (July 14) criticised the Tamil Nadu government's decision to celebrate Tamil Nadu Day on July 18 instead of November 1, terming it a "historical distortion" initiated by the previous DMK regime.

In a statement, the PMK leader urged the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) administration not to "blindly follow" and justify this "factual error", but to restore November 1 as the official state formation day, in lines with the reorganisation of states on linguistic lines.

He pointed out that Minister for School Education and Tamil Development, Rajmohan recently announced that to mark Tamil Nadu Day on July 18, oratorical and essay competitions on the glory of the Tamil language and the history of Tamil Nadu will be organized for students of Classes 6-12 across the state.

"While initiatives to promote the Tamil language and its heritage among students are highly welcome, we cannot allow the continuation of efforts to distort history through these events," he said in a statement.

Anbumani said based on this historical division, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Puducherry celebrate November 1 as Kannada Rajyotsava (Karnataka Day), Kerala Piravi (Kerala Day), Andhra Pradesh Statehood Day, and Puducherry Liberation Day, respectively.

"For many years, the PMK, along with Tamil scholars and Tamil nationalists, had been persistently demanding that November 1 be declared as Tamil Nadu Day," he said adding "accepting this demand, the then Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced in 2019 that November 1 would be celebrated as Tamil Nadu Day".

"However, after assuming office as Chief Minister in 2021, M K Stalin inexplicably changed the date, declaring July 18 as Tamil Nadu Day", he added.

Claiming that Tamil Nadu Day is, and always will be, November 1 and this is the date that must be etched in the minds of the people, he said "conversely, calling July 18 Tamil Nadu Day and conducting student competitions based on a flawed historical premise is unacceptable".

"This absurdity must be put to an end", he said.

If necessary, the government should convene a meeting of Tamil scholars, language activists, and those who fought in the border agitations to collectively determine the rightful Tamil Nadu Day. "Our children must be taught our proud, untampered, and true history".