Cary, North Carolina: About 35 Dravidian comrades assembled at the Green Level Primary School Park in Cary on 28th September to celebrate the 146th Birthday of Thanthai Periyar symbolically through ‘Run for Periyar’. Elders, youth and children commenced the ‘Run for Periyar’ by 7.30 a.m. Invariably many of them wore the ‘Run for Periyar’ T-shirt. A few walked introducing one another. The Run concluded by 10.00 a.m. Breakfast was arranged, and books on Periyar were distributed to the participants. Manivannan and Bala organised the event under the guidance of Dr. Soma Ilangovan, Chair-person of Periyar International, U.S.A.
‘RUN FOR PERIYAR’ IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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This year Periyar International organised ‘Run for Periyar’ to celebrate the 146th Birthday of Thanthai Periyar.
Chicago, Illinois:
A massive group of elders, youth, children, women comrades participated in the Run for Periyar at Chicago. In variably all of them wore T-shirts with the image of Periyar on them with Periyar’s propaganda slogan, Dignity and Rational Intellect are the Beauty of Humans (மானமும் அறிவும் மனிதர்க்கு அழகு). The ‘Run for Periyar’ was witnessed by the passersby with admiration.
New York: ‘Run for Periyar’ was conducted symbolically in New York to celebrate the Birthday of Periyar. This year the mode of the birthday celebration of Periyar gave a boost to the Members of Periyar International and the migrated Tamil population in the U.S. ‘Run for Periyar’ that was organised, proved successful to disseminate the ideals of Periyar to many Americans who were unaware of Periyar so far.
Chantilly, Virginia: ‘Run for Periyar’ programme was organised with the participation of many Tamils settled in the U.S. as part of the celebration of the 146th Birthday of Thanthai Periyar on 15th September 2024. The Run commenced from Mink Meadows Road and ended at Murray Road of the city. Many of the participants attired in T-shirts with the image of Periyar captured the attention of many passersby.
The programme was initiated with the efforts of K. Ezhilvadivan – D.C. Arivu Ponni, M.V. Kanimozhi and other volunteers. Dr.Durai Chandrasekaran, General Secretary of Dravidar Kazhagam, who happened to be in the U.S. participated in the event as a special invitee.
ENGLAND
The 146th Birthday Celebration of Thanthai Periyar was organised by the London Periyar Ambedkar Study Circle. It was held on 22nd September 2024 at London Tamil Sangam, East Ham E12 6PG. The special Address was on the topic, “The Need for Periyar” in the present circumstances and was delivered by the renowned writer, Gana. Kurichi. ‘Periyar trots’ – Agaram and Dhanya Sree spoke on “Periyar in my view”. Sethupathi and Raja distributed prizes to the competition winners. Discussion session was held wherein all the members of Periyar Ambedkar Study Circle participated with enthusiasm. Perumal Raja, Prabu, Kabilan and Bharathi and other cadres of the Periyar Ambedkar Study Circle were among them.
MALAYSIA
The Padang Serai branch Malaysian Dravidian Association (MDA) in Gadah State of Malaysia celebrated the 146th Birthday of Thanthai Periyar on 17th September 2024. Floral tributes were paid to the portrait of Periyar. Balan, alias Kumaran, presided over the celebration. P. Seethai Sang Tamil invocation song. K. Mannan spoke about the social reforms that took place after the visits of Periyar to Malaysia in 1929 and 1954. V. Kathiravan, President of Combang Razak branch of MDA participated in the event as a special invitee. He recalled the visit of Asiriyar Dr. K. Veeramani, President Dravidar Kazhagam at present, to Malaysia and the effect caused by him on the functioning of the MDA. Prem, Prema and Arumugam from Epoh participated. It was resolved by Padang Serai unit to celebrate the 147th Birthday of Periyar in 2025 in a grand manner.
