Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin during a meeting with BNY Mellon officials, in Chicago.
Credit: PTI Photo
Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin, who is now touring the US to attract investments, has appealed to the Tamil diaspora to visit Tamil Nadu with their children at least once a year and make them aware of the state's rich culture and heritage.
Addressing a programme organised by Chicago based Tamil assocations on September 7, Stalin thanked the people for their love and affection and said, "our biggest identity is that we are the children of mother Tamil." Referring to the Tamil Nadu government's 'Vergalai Thedi Thittam' (In pursuit of roots scheme), a cultural tour programme in Tamil Nadu for young Tamil men and women living outside India, the CM said a participant from Myanmar recently renewed contacts with her extended family in the state.
Under the Vergalai scheme, the state government takes selected men and women with Tamil ancestry and living abroad on a guided tour to archeaological sites and those related to Tamil culture and heritage. It was launched by Stalin in Singapore on May 24, 2023.
Stalin, referring to setting up of a welfare board for the non-resident Tamils by his goverment and outlining related initiatives like observance of January 12 as diaspora (Tamils) day, he said: "That is why I say all the time that this is not a government by a party, but it is the government of a race. Only Tamil has the strength to unify all and trounce caste and religious differences." Furthermore, he urged the participants to visit Tamil Nadu, along with their children at least once a year and enlighten them on saint poet Tiruvalluvar and take them to archeaologically significant places like Sivakalai, Korkai and Porunai besides the Keeladi museum. "Do whatever you can for Tamil Nadu." Citing the archaeological excavations at Keeladi in Sivaganga district of the state, he said it showed that even 4,000 years ago, "we had literacy, we were a developed society and belonged to an urban civilisation and that is why I have been continuously saying that the history of Indian sub continent should hereafter be written beginning it from the Tamil landscape." TN CM embarked on a visit to the US on August 27 to attract investments to the state and MoUs, totally worth over Rs 4,000 crore have been signed so far with several companies and he is scheduled to be there till September 13.