March 1, 2025: Tamil cinema legend Rajinikanth extended his heartfelt birthday wishes to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on his 72nd birthday with a personal phone call.
The celebration was further marked by greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who shared his best wishes for CM Stalin through a post on the social media platform X, writing, “Birthday greetings to Tamil Nadu CM Thiru MK Stalin. May he lead a long and healthy life.”
The birthday celebrations began for CM Stalin with a floral tribute to CN Annadurai, the founder of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and former Chief Minister, at the Anna Memorial in Marina Beach, Chennai. In addition, Stalin distributed chocolates to school children at the Muthamizharignar Dr Kalaignar M Karunanidhi Memorial, celebrating the occasion with young ones in the state.
Along with political leaders from the DMK and its alliance parties, actor Kamal Haasan, founder of the Makkal Needhi Maiam party, also met CM Stalin on the eve of his birthday. Haasan lauded Stalin’s stance against the controversial three-language policy and emphasized his leadership in defending Tamil culture and language. Haasan posted on X, “At a time when the people of Tamil Nadu, the Tamil language, and Tamil culture are facing various pressures, Mr. Stalin, like his predecessors, has emerged as a bulwark to protect Tamil Nadu. I congratulate him with joy. Long live the people!”
In his birthday speech, CM Stalin reiterated his strong opposition to the New Education Policy (NEP) of 2020, specifically its “three-language formula.” He voiced concerns over the Center’s push for Hindi, criticizing what he described as the imposition of additional languages in the education system. Stalin remarked that, in today’s age of advanced technological solutions like Artificial Intelligence, such linguistic impositions were unnecessary.
He further expressed his views on social media, stating, “True progress lies in innovation, not linguistic imposition.” Stalin also took aim at BJP leaders advocating for Hindi, asserting that their arguments claiming the necessity of Hindi for day-to-day life in North India could be addressed by AI, which already offers translation capabilities. On X, Stalin wrote, “BJP leaders advocating Hindi insist, ‘You must know Hindi to buy tea, pani puri, or use toilets in North India.’ In the Age of AI, forcing any language as a third language in schools is unnecessary. Advanced translation technology already removes language barriers instantly.”
Stalin’s birthday thus became a platform not only for celebrations but also for reinforcing his stance on key political issues affecting Tamil Nadu, including the protection of the Tamil language and culture in the face of growing national pressures.