Recalling an event from the 1980s organised by the then Chairman of Nandanam Arts College Students' Union and now the Thiru Vi Ka Nagar MLA, Thayagam Kavi, on the same college campus, Udhayanidhi said, “In his speech delivered on this very campus, Karunanidhi emphasised the need to resist Hindi imposition. Today, an auditorium named ‘Kalaignar Kalaiyarangam’ stands on this campus in his honour. I hope the students of today carry the same spirit in upholding the core values of the Dravidian movement such as social justice, human rights, and women’s rights.”

He also pointed out that Dravidian leaders such as Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, C.N. Annadurai, and M. Karunanidhi had not encouraged students to take part in protests, but instead urged them to prioritise their education.

“But now, the Union Government is disrupting students’ education through NEET and the New Education Policy,” he added.

Further, Udhayanidhi reminded the audience that Justice Party leader C. Natesan had established the ‘Dravidian Hostel’ in Triplicane in 1916 to provide accommodation for students from disadvantaged communities.

“Last week, Chief Minister Stalin inaugurated a boys’ hostel named after M.C. Raja with modern facilities in Saidapet (built at a cost of Rs 44.50 crore). This is the success of the Dravidian model,” he said.

Adblock test (Why?)