The first to sign the visitors’ register at Coimbatore’s new Periyar Arivulagam, Chief Minister Vijay left a four-word message in English — “Know More; Fear Less” — a reminder that learning turns uncertainty into confidence.
The first to sign the visitors’ register at Coimbatore’s new Periyar Arivulagam, Chief Minister Vijay left a four-word message in English — “Know More; Fear Less” — a reminder that learning turns uncertainty into confidence.
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay gave no speech at the opening of Periyar Arivulagam in Coimbatore on October 16, 2026. But before he left, he wrote four words in the library’s visitors’ register that have since been shared widely on social media.
The line joins two ideas. Know more: keep reading, keep asking questions and look for evidence before reaching a conclusion — not only from textbooks, but about people, science, history and society. Fear less: the better you understand something, the less room there is for needless worry about it.
It does not promise that knowledge removes every fear or every mistake. It says that understanding replaces uncertainty with clearer thinking. A student stuck on a hard subject improves by learning its basics. A young person unsure about a career can find out what each path needs. A citizen faced with conflicting claims can check the evidence before deciding what to believe.
Exams, competition and worry about the future weigh on students. Fear of failing can stop them from asking a question in class, trying something new or admitting they have not understood. Vijay’s message turns that around: let not knowing be a reason to learn, not a reason to hold back.
Knowledge does not guarantee success, but it helps students make better choices — and the habit of learning lasts long after the last exam.
The words were written in a building made for exactly this. Periyar Arivulagam has a ground floor and seven upper floors with about one lakh books, a children’s library, a science centre with a STEM lab, a planetarium, a digital library and study halls for TNPSC and UPSC aspirants — read about the opening ›
It is named after Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, the reformer who stood for rational thinking, self-respect and questioning old beliefs. A library opens a world beyond one’s surroundings; a science centre invites people to find out how things work. “Know More; Fear Less” sums up that purpose.
Today information arrives in seconds through phones, social media and AI tools — but having information is not the same as understanding it. The idea behind the message is a good guide:
Knowledge is most useful when it is put into practice. Knowing the value of good health still means building healthy habits; knowing how to manage time still means using it well. Read this way, the message is an invitation to take the first step: understand the challenge, then act on it — one book, one question, one new skill at a time.
Know more. Question thoughtfully. Understand deeply. Fear less.
Know More Fear Less Periyar Arivulagam Students Coimbatore Library Day 161