In what has become one of the historical moves of his administration, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has on Saturday announced that the state will observe 'Tamil Nadu Day' on July 18. In a statement, MK Stalin has said that former Chief Minister CN Annadurai had moved a resolution in the assembly on July 18, 1968, to change the name of the state from Madras to Tamil Nadu. 

The Chief Minister further said that the state government will soon issue an order to observe July 18 as Tamil Nadu Day. According to reports, through the announcement, the DMK regime has nullified the observation made by the previous ADMK government on celebrating Tamil Nadu Day. In 2019, the Edappadi Palaniswami-led ADMK government had announced that November 1 would be observed as Tamil Nadu Day since it was on this day the states were reorganized. 

Stalin said that the Linguistic Reorganization of States was done on November 1, 1956, following which the parts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala went away from the then Madras state. Subsequently, the previous government had announced November 1 from 2019 as Tamil Nadu Day. However, the Chief Minister noted, various sections including political parties, activists, Tamil scholars, and associations have been demanding that November 1 would only signify the 'border struggle' and that it won't be appropriate to celebrate November 1 as Tamil Nadu Day.

The Chief Minister stated that these stakeholders had suggested that July 18 should be celebrated as Tamil Nadu Day. It was when Tamil Nadu got its present name following an assembly resolution passed by the then Chief Minister CN Annadurai, who is the founder of DMK. In his statement, Stalin said, "After carefully considering the pleas of various organizations, a government order will soon be issued to celebrate July 18, when mother Tamil Nadu was named as Tamil Nadu by Anna." 

On the other hand, the Chief Minister had announced that the state government would present Rs 1 lakh cash prize each to 110 'Border Saviours' on November 1 to honour their struggle to safeguard the border of Tamil Nadu when the states were formed on a linguistic basis in 1956. MK Stalin had also highlighted the state government's monthly financial assistance of Rs 5,500 along with the medical allowance of Rs 500 being extended to 110 Border Saviours throughout their lifetime, besides the allowance of Rs 3,000 and medical assistance of Rs 500 to 137 legal heirs of the saviours. 

MK Stalin's move of changing the observance of Tamil Nadu Day was flayed by the ADMK and it had called the move 'political vendetta'. An ADMK leader has said, "Just because Palaniswami had announced that November 1 will be celebrated as Tamil Nadu Day, I condemn portraying history according to your convenience due to political vendetta." However, the announcement has garnered a good reception from across the state with the leaders in the DMK alliance commending the Chief Minister for the historical announcement.