Chennai, Sep 15 (IANS): The DMK has postponed its annual Mupperum Vizha, which was scheduled to be held at Kalaignar Arangam in Anna Arivalayam here on Tuesday evening, following party president M.K. Stalin’s sudden illness.
DMK general secretary Duraimurugan announced the postponement and said the revised date for the event would be communicated later.
All programmes connected to the celebration, and scheduled for Tuesday evening, have also been deferred. Stalin’s absence from the birth anniversary celebrations of DMK founder and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai in Chennai earlier in the day had triggered concern among party functionaries.
The party, however, did not immediately disclose details about the nature of his illness or whether he had been advised to take a rest.
The Mupperum Vizha, or triple celebration, is one of the most important annual events in the DMK’s political calendar. It commemorates the birth anniversaries of social reformer E.V. Ramasamy, popularly known as Thanthai Periyar, and Annadurai, widely called Perarignar Anna, as well as the founding of the DMK.
Annadurai was born on September 15, 1909, in Kancheepuram. A powerful orator, writer and advocate of social justice and state autonomy, he founded the DMK in 1949 after separating from Periyar’s Dravidar Kazhagam. He became Tamil Nadu’s Chief Minister in 1967 and was instrumental in renaming the state of Madras as Tamil Nadu. He died in February 1969.
Periyar was born on September 17, 1879, in Erode. He led the Self-Respect Movement and campaigned against caste discrimination, social inequality, superstition and the denial of rights to women. His rationalist and social justice principles provided the ideological foundation for the Dravidian movement and deeply influenced both Annadurai and the DMK.
The DMK itself was established on September 17, 1949.
The party traditionally combines the three occasions into one major function, during which senior cadres, public figures and contributors to the Dravidian movement are honoured.
The Periyar, Anna, Kalaignar, Pavendhar and M.K. Stalin awards were to be presented during this year’s programme. Party workers and award recipients who had arrived for the celebration were informed about the postponement. The party leadership is expected to announce a fresh schedule after assessing Stalin’s health and availability.
