Gold rings as gifts, cricket matches... DMK to go all-out for MK Stalin's 70th birthday

 Born on March 1, 1953, 'Dravida Nayagan,' (Dravidian hero) -- among the choice terms used by party workers and admirers to praise the DMK president -- would turn 70. 

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is all set to hold grand celebrations to mark the 70th birthday of party president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on March 1. Besides a number of events, the gala event will see the gifting of gold rings to newborns, welfare programmes, public meetings and sporting events.

Chennai will play host to a mega public meeting being organised by the DMK's South district unit, in which senior political leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Bihar Deputy CM and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav and Jammu Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, will be participating. 

Stalin would be felicitated by DMK general secretary Duraimurugan, treasurer T R Baalu and other senior party leaders at the YMCA ground in Chennai. Thousands of party workers will join the public gathering.

Born on March 1, 1953, 'Dravida Nayagan,' (Dravidian hero) -- among the choice terms used by party workers and admirers to praise the DMK president -- would turn 70. 

Gold rings to new-borns, blood donation camps, community baby shower events, saplings to farmers, offering assistance, including providing community lunch, notebooks to students and eye camps, are among the dozens of state-wide events being organised by the DMK. 

And there are sporting events planned as well. That includes marathons, cricket and kabaddi tournaments. Some party units are even planning debate programmes, sweet distribution, hoisting of party flags and party propaganda meetings.

Consultative meetings are being held between ministers, district secretaries and party office-bearers to deliberate and finalise celebratory events. District heads announced that welfare assistance would be given to people in their regions. The birthday celebrations are also expected to spill over outside Tamil Nadu, with party workers in Puducherry and Kerala planning events. 

On March 1, actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan would inaugurate a photo exhibition of Stalin in Chennai.