CM Stalin inaugurates Semmozhi expo on Karuna's birth anniversary
CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday inaugurated the Tamil Semmozhi exhibition as part of the Semmozhi Naal celebrations. The birth anniversary of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, June 3, is being celebrated as Semmozhi Naal.
The exhibition, which is on at Kalaivanar Arangam, showcases a rare collection of photographs of Karunanidhi, old editions of classical Tamil works, palm-leaf manuscripts giving details about the evolution of Tamil language, literature and civilisation through artefacts showing the antiquity of Tamil civilisation.
An official release said the exhibition has been extended till June 9 so that the public and students from schools and colleges could view it free of cost. The exhibition features include the history of classical Tamil, scripts from the Indus valley and Tamil Nadu symbols, Sangam-era inscriptions, pottery with Tamil inscriptions, details of Thirvalangadu copper plates, hero stone inscription from Keezh Mukkuttoor, Kalaiganr Karuvoolam with digital interactive features, a list of nationalised works of Karunanidhi, etc.
As part of the Semmozhi Naal celebrations, the government will also be organising literary competitions, including oratorical contests, contests on writing poetry, quiz programmes, moral storytelling events, etc.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘Happy families are all alike…': How Tolstoy's iconic opening line gave rise to the Anna Karenina principle—a universal rule for failure
The year was 1873. Leo Tolstoy, already Russia's most celebrated novelist, sat down to write the first line of what would become his masterpiece, Anna Karenina (1877). He began with a devastating truth: 'Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.' It was an observation so precise it felt like a law of nature. And in a way, it was. Before the term 'systems thinking' entered the lexicon and interdisciplinary studies became the academic norm, Tolstoy had unknowingly articulated a principle that would transcend literature—a universal theory of failure. Today, scholars call it the Anna Karenina Principle, and it governs everything from doomed startups to collapsing ecosystems, from broken marriages to extinct species. The 19th century birthed many grand theories— Charles Darwin's natural selection, Karl Marx's class struggle, and Sigmund Freud's unconscious mind. Where other Victorian-era ideas were eventually challenged or refined, the Anna Karenina Principle has only grown more relevant with time. The rule states that success is fragile because it requires everything to go right, while failure is inevitable because it takes only one thing to go wrong. Consider: a marriage thrives only with trust, communication, compatibility, and mutual respect. Remove one, and the relationship crumbles. Similarly, a startup needs product-market fit, strong leadership, funding, and timing. One misstep can lead to collapse. Finally, a species survives only if its environment, food supply, and reproductive cycle align. Disrupt one, and extinction follows. This asymmetry explains why failure is more common than success—and why Tolstoy's insight has been adopted by fields far beyond literature. The principle gained scientific legitimacy in 1997, when Jared Diamond applied it in Guns, Germs, and Steel to explain why so few animals have ever been domesticated. For domestication to succeed, he argued, a species must meet a strict checklist: the right diet, a calm temperament, a useful social hierarchy. Fail just one condition, and domestication fails entirely. The same logic applies to microbiomes (a single imbalance can trigger disease), business ventures (one flawed assumption can sink a company), and personal happiness (a single unresolved trauma can undermine a life). As Aristotle once said, 'To succeed is possible only in one way; to fail is possible in many.' When Anna Karenina was published, Russia was in upheaval—old family structures were fracturing under modernity. Tolstoy's novel doesn't offer a single truly happy family. The eponymous Anna is trapped in a loveless marriage with Alexei Karenin, a high ranking government official. She falls in love with the charming Count Vronsky, ending in a passionate affair that defies societal norms. As the relationship comes to light, Anna faces public scandal and personal turmoil. Parallel to her journey, Konstantin Levin, a landowner, seeks love and meaning in his life, marrying Kitty Shcherbatsky, an aristocrat. Even Levin and Kitty, the closest to an ideal couple, who find happiness within the bonds of family, struggle with doubt and imperfection. This begs the question: does the 'happy family' even exist? The novel dissects infidelity, jealousy, societal pressure, and emotional repression, each a unique path to unhappiness. Meanwhile, happiness, if it exists at all, is easily shattered. One might argue Tolstoy's principle was ahead of its time because the 19th century was obsessed with success—industrial progress, social utopias, imperial expansion. It took the 20th century's catastrophes (world wars, economic collapses, ecological crises) for us to truly appreciate his corollary: that understanding failure's many faces is more urgent than cataloging success's singular path. In an era of precarious careers, fragile relationships, and systemic failures, the Anna Karenina Principle feels more relevant than ever. Few ideas can bridge literature, science, and human experience so seamlessly. There is a reason, after all, that the line which introduces an 800-word Russian novel, remains popular across generations, cultures and continents in an era of reducing attention spans. Tolstoy's opening line, beyond being a truism, was a prophecy: perfection is rare and failure is always waiting. And in that, perhaps, lies its enduring power. ('Drawing a Line' is an eight-column weekly series exploring the stories behind literature's most iconic opening lines. Each column offers interpretation, not definitive analysis—because great lines, like great books, invite many readings.) Aishwarya Khosla is a journalist currently serving as Deputy Copy Editor at The Indian Express. Her writings examine the interplay of culture, identity, and politics. She began her career at the Hindustan Times, where she covered books, theatre, culture, and the Punjabi diaspora. Her editorial expertise spans the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Online desks. She was the recipient of the The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections, where she studied political campaigns, policy research, political strategy and communications for a year. She pens The Indian Express newsletter, Meanwhile, Back Home. Write to her at or You can follow her on Instagram: @ink_and_ideology, and X: @KhoslaAishwarya. ... Read More
India Today
7 hours ago
- India Today
Census delay a sinister move to weaken southern states: MK Stalin slams Centre
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has alleged that the delay in conducting the National Census and the upcoming delimitation exercise are part of a calculated move by the Union Government to undermine the political representation of southern states. "The Census delay is no accident. The delimitation plan is not a coincidence," says the delay in the Census a 'sinister design,' Stalin warned that states like Tamil Nadu, which followed population control policies, would now be penalised for their progress. 'The 2027 Census will form the basis for the next delimitation, replacing the 1971 data. This gives the Union BJP Government the means to restructure Parliamentary representation to its advantage, at the cost of the Southern States,' he questioned the credibility of the Union Government's assurances, saying, 'The Ministry of Home Affairs claims that the concerns of affected States will be addressed. But these are vague remarks. What is needed is a clear Parliamentary commitment and a suitable constitutional amendment.' Drawing parallels with the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister remarked, 'While the Union Government spoke of restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Article 370 was abrogated. Elections were held. Assurances were given in the Supreme Court. Yet, Jammu and Kashmir remains a Union Territory. This is the track record of the BJP we are dealing with.'Warning of the potential consequences of the proposed delimitation, Stalin said, 'If the Union Government proceeds with the delimitation based on the 2027 Census, the democratic power of peninsular India will be reduced to irrelevance. The danger I warned of is at our doorstep.'Taking a swipe at the opposition AIADMK and its leader, Edappadi K Palaniswami, Stalin said, 'Even if betrayers like the AIADMK choose to kneel before the BJP for their political survival, the people of Tamil Nadu led by the DMK will never allow our state to be punished for its progress.'Must Watch IN THIS STORY#Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin
New Indian Express
8 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Rs 54 crore to boost police infrastructure in north Chennai
CHENNAI: Acting on Chief Minister M K Stalin's directive, the state government has sanctioned Rs 54.36 crore for strengthening police infrastructure and public safety under the North Chennai Development Plan (Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam). The funds, approved through the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), will be used to enhance surveillance, build new facilities and promote welfare initiatives for police personnel and the public. Key allocations include Rs 16 crore for a new integrated police station at V-6 Kolathur and Rs 15 crore for a new building at Peravallur station. The Kolathur facility will house law and order units, crime and cybercrime wings, a women's station, barracks, and a fire station. To strengthen surveillance, Rs 9.16 crore will be used to instal automatic number plate recognition cameras at 45 locations. A sum of Rs 90.6 lakh has been earmarked for getting 60 two-wheeler patrol vehicles.
