Makkal Sevai Maiyam celebrates Thiruvalluvar Day in Tamil Nadu

The Makkal Sevai Maiyam (MSM) on Thursday celebrated Thiruvalluvar Day in Tamil Nadu to mark the birth anniversary of the celebrated Tamil poet and philosopher.

During the celebration, the members of the organisation used photograph of Thiruvalluvar in a saffron shawl.

Around 150 small children participated in the event. They were later given 'hundies' (saving boxes) to make them aware of the importance of saving.

A member of the Makkal Sevai Maiyam said they were celebrating Thiruvalluvar Day by inviting children and asking them to recite a poem from his book 'Thirukkural'. She said the objective of 'Hundi' was to inculcate the habit of saving among children.

On Thiruvalluvar being draped in a saffron shawl, she said "If you see older books, Thiruvalluvar has always been wearing saffron clothes. The colour was later changed to white. We are re-introducing Thiruvalluvar, as was known to our forefathers, to the younger generation."

She said Thiruvalluvar was not the property of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) or its chief MK Stalin.

"Whether saffron or white, we respect Thiruvalluvar," she said.