‘Nehru is and should continue to be India’s identity’: MK Stalin

CHENNAI:  Former PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, is and should continue to be the identity of India, said Chief Minister MK Stalin while releasing the book titled ‘Maamanithar Nehru’, authored by Congress leader, A Gopanna, in the city on Sunday. 

Stalin said the book has a reference to Mahatma Gandhi as saying that the nation is in the safe hands of Nehru. Claiming that the book is a repository of history, the chief minister said, “The book is not just about the history of Nehru and Congress, but is about India. It also has notes on what type of development the country should move towards.” 

Gopanna is an example of maintaining friendships beyond politics. He also has an affiliation towards Dravidian principles. He was instrumental in the formation of the Congress-DMK alliance and the parties coming closer, said Stalin.

Stalin said Gopanna worked towards collecting all the information available from 2006 to 2016 and released the English version of the book in 2018. “This is the Tamil translation of the book. It also has rare photos to attract more readers. As a message of gratitude for Nehru’s contribution to the Indian union, this book should be there in every house,” he said. 

Stalin said Nehru was against one language, one religion, one race and one culture. “He had said communalism and nationalism can’t co-exist.  That is why he is being hailed by secular forces,” he said. Stating that Nehru is a true democrat, he also recalled how Nehru intervened to ensure caste-based reservation continued and how he assured Hindi wouldn’t be imposed.

Several prominent personalities including Congress leader P Chidambaram, TNCC President KS Alagiri, former Puducherry CM Vaithialingam and VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan participated in the event.