DMK President and Chief Minister MK Stalin at a conference of party agents in Coimbatore on Friday. | Photo credit: M. PERIASAMY
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Sunday justified his government’s stand on the Thirupparankundram deepam series by saying that he has decided to protect the traditions of the hill temple in Madurai.
Through a video message circulated by the DMK, Mr. Stalin sought to explain his government’s stand on the Thirupparankundram temple issue.
“I have decided to protect the traditions of the Thirupparankundram temple. I have not done so as a religious leader but as a chief minister. I firmly believe that personal faith should not be subordinated to politics,” Mr Stalin said in the video clip.
Rationality is not something that needs to be fought with faith, Mr. Stalin said, asserting, “Both are two faces of the same society. The friendship between Periyar (EV Ramasamy) and Adigalar is proof of that.”
In politics, Mr. Stalin said his goal was to unite everyone. “We may have different beliefs, but we live in the same country. We speak the same language. We walk towards the same future. That is the beating pulse of the Dravidian movement.”
He also reiterated his government’s stance on promoting a bilingual policy. “The importance given to Hindi has not only denigrated other languages, it has also destroyed them,” he said.
“The BJP government is not only trying to make Hindi the official language but also the language of authority in this country. They have ordered us to teach our children three languages. Impossible! We will keep two – Tamil and English. Nothing will change in this regard. Our mother tongue is our soul. English is our window to the world. We will protect both,” the chief minister said.
Mr. Stalin said, “The fight against the Governor is the first chapter of any social system we introduce,” and he stressed, “when it comes to the Dravidian model, it is a price that must not be negotiated.” Hailing his late father and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi as a “great personality”, Mr Stalin said: “I cannot write like him. Nor can I speak like him. But what can I do? I can work like him. I can work for the people. That is enough for now.”
Referring to the attempts to test him and his party, Mr. Stalin said, “Our sweat and tears have gone into the construction of this Dravidian model. We will protect it. We will protect Tamil lives and improve them with our plans. We will protect the Tamil language that beats in our hearts. Not just today, but forever!”
Published – 01 March 2026 19:40 IST
