Stalin inaugurates memorial stadium for freedom fighter Maaveeran Pollan

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday asserted that social justice and equality remain central to his government, as the internal reservation brought in by the DMK for Arunthathiyars has improved the community.

Speaking after inaugurating a memorial for freedom fighter ‘Maaveeran Pollan’ for Rs 4.90 crore in Erode, Stalin said the internal reservation was initiated by former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, and it was tabled by him in the Assembly at that time.

“Because of the internal reservation, the number of students from the Adi Dravidar community studying engineering has increased from 193 in 2009 to 3,944 this year. Similarly, 193 students are pursuing MBBS in 2023-2024. This is a key milestone to demonstrate DMK’s long-standing commitment to social justice,” he said.

To uplift the lives of marginalised communities, Stalin said the state government is constructing 26 hostels for school and college students in Western districts for Rs 182 crore, 107 school buildings at Rs 74 crore, 26 community halls for Rs 20 crore and 131 village knowledge centres at Rs 134 crore. These facilities are being developed in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Theni and Karur districts.

“Our objective is to ensure equal opportunities for all and build an inclusive society,” he said.

Earlier, Stalin distributed free land patta documents to Pollan’s descendants. The memorial features weapons, including spears and swords used by Pollan, who served as a trusted commander of freedom fighter Dheeran Chinnamalai. A short documentary on Pollan’s life was screened at the event.