The DMK’s Maanavar Ani (student’s wing) has been tasked with promoting “Tamil culture and pride” across campuses in the state. As per sources, the student body is being relaunched to commemorate the centenary celebrations of late chief minister M Karunanidhi.
The Maanavar Ani, according to senior DMK leaders, will conduct discussions, debates, workshops and elocution contests on Dravidian culture.
Sources also said that this move is the idea of Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who also head’s the DMK’s youth wing.
IANS was also told that the plans extend only to arts and science colleges at present and that it would be extended later to government and private professional colleges.
DMK student’s wing secretary CVMP Ezhilarasan told media persons that the idea is to reach out to students across 720 college campuses in the state, not “just for political mileage, but also to nurture pride and interest in Tamil culture.”
The Maanavar Ani will enroll a minimum of 100 students from each campus with hopes to rope in 72,000 student memberships in the future, from these 720 colleges.
DMK Organising Secretary RS Bharathi told IANS that Karunanidhi had taken the initiative to install a student body in Thiruvarur during the early days of his political career and that the DMK is trying to remould campuses by holding debates and discussions on Dravidian culture and pride.