DMK Embraces Vallalar: Tamil Nadu's Secular Icon for Dravidian Model
TNN / Feb 16, 2026, 23:43 (IST)
Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK government is actively promoting 19th-century saint Vallalar as a secular icon, aligning him with the Dravidian model. Initiatives include naming days and places after him, and organizing international conferences. Vallalar's rejection of rituals, opposition to caste, and advocacy for equality resonate with the party's ideology.