CM Stalin to unveil Periyar portrait at Oxford University
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Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will on Thursday unveil a portrait of social reformer E.V. Ramasamy ‘Periyar’ at St. Antony’s College, Oxford University, to mark the centenary of the Self-Respect Movement.
The unveiling is part of an international conference, The Self-Respect Movement and its Legacies 2025, where Stalin has been invited as a special guest. He will also deliver the keynote address, highlighting Periyar’s legacy and the continued impact of Dravidian thought on social reform and modern governance.
As part of the event, Stalin will release two books, ‘The Dravidian Pathway’ and ‘The Cambridge Companion to Periyar’, underscoring Tamil Nadu’s contributions to progressive and reformist ideologies.
The visit is also aligned with the Chief Minister’s wider mission of attracting global investment to Tamil Nadu, as his government pursues the goal of making the state a $1 trillion economy. Over the past few years, the DMK government has held several international summits and meetings to woo foreign investors.
This is Stalin’s fourth overseas trip, during which agreements worth Rs 18,500 crore have been signed. After completing his engagements in Germany, where he met industry leaders, he reached London for further investment talks. On Wednesday, he witnessed the signing of key Memorandums of Understanding with business groups, inviting them to establish operations in Tamil Nadu. He highlighted the state’s industrial progress, skilled workforce and investor-friendly policies as advantages in sectors such as manufacturing, renewable energy and technology.
Stalin’s schedule also includes a visit to the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London on Friday, where he will meet around 30 Tamil students and graduates. The interaction is aimed at strengthening connections with the Tamil diaspora and encouraging their role in Tamil Nadu’s development.
Through this combination of cultural assertion and investment diplomacy, Stalin is positioning Tamil Nadu as both a progressive state proud of its reformist heritage and a growing global economic hub.
