Periyar Arivulagam is Dravidian model government’s brainchild, says Stalin
Ahead of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s inauguration of the Periyar Arivulagam in Coimbatore on Friday, October 16, 2026, DMK president and former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin asserted that the project was conceived and developed under the previous DMK administration. He said real credit lies in envisioning and executing such public infrastructure, not merely in cutting the ribbon.
Background
In a statement issued ahead of the event, Mr. Stalin recalled announcing the Periyar Arivulagam during his tenure as Chief Minister and laying its foundation stone. He said the project had been advanced with the aim of creating a modern, public-oriented knowledge infrastructure in line with the ideals of the Dravidian model of governance.
“Following the Poonamallee–Vadapalani Metro rail corridor, another major project of our Dravidian model government is set to be dedicated to public use today…. My heart is filled with joy!” Mr. Stalin said, highlighting what he described as state-of-the-art facilities planned for the complex.
Key statements
Emphasising process over ceremony, Mr. Stalin said, “What does it matter who inaugurates it? Is there any great pride in merely inaugurating something? Is it not the real pride in planning and developing something? That distinction belongs to the DMK in Tamil Nadu.”
He noted that when he visited Coimbatore in February this year, most of the work had been completed. Though there were suggestions to inaugurate the project at that time, he said he declined to rush the event, adding that it should open only after all works were fully completed.
DMK’s library and knowledge-centre push
Positioning the Periyar Arivulagam within a broader programme of knowledge and library initiatives, Mr. Stalin listed several projects advanced under the DMK government, including the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai and the Kalaignar Centenary Library in Madurai. He also pointed to Mudhalvar Padaippagams and the renovation of the historic Connemara Public Library in Egmore as examples of the party’s focus on expanding access to learning and culture.
According to Mr. Stalin, multiple facilities announced during the DMK’s tenure are nearing completion and will be opened soon. These include the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Library in Tiruchi, the Quaid-e-Millath Library in Tirunelveli, the Bharathidasan Arivulagam in Salem, and the Anjalai Ammal Arivulagam in Cuddalore.
Significance and next steps
With the Periyar Arivulagam set to be inaugurated by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, Mr. Stalin framed the event as the culmination of a policy thrust he said continues to shape Tamil Nadu’s public infrastructure agenda. “The achievements of the Dravidian model government continue to shine every day, not only when we are in power but even when we are out of office,” he said.
The inauguration marks the formal opening of a project Mr. Stalin described as a flagship addition to Tamil Nadu’s knowledge infrastructure. Additional libraries and knowledge centres cited by him are expected to follow with their own inaugurations in the near future.
