On the 144th birth anniversary of reformist leader 'Periyar' E V Ramasamy, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday extended his wishes and urged everyone to uphold values of rationalism.
The Chief Minister said Ramasamy is the epitome of struggles against the atrocities inflicted upon the downtrodden sections of society in the country.
"Periyar is the epitome of our struggle against the atrocities inflicted on the downtrodden of our nation. Today, on his birth anniversary, let's pledge to uphold the values of rationality and social justice and honour his legacy. #HBDPeriyar144," Vijayan said in a tweet.
Ramasamy, addressed by his supporters and followers in reverential terms as 'Periyar', led a popular Self-Respect Movement in south India based on rationalist principles. He was the founder of Dravidar Kazhagam, the parent organisation of Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK.
(With PTI Inputs)
