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Honour Karunanidhi with Bharat Ratna, say DMK, Cong
Terming the Dravidian stalwart M Karunanidhi as the tallest leader in the country, the DMK on Friday demanded the nation’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna for him.
By
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Chennai
The party said that the award will be a real tribute to the leader who passed away on August 7 after helming the party for 50 years and being the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for 19 years over five terms.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, DMK MP Tiruchy Siva said that Karunanidhi’s outstanding and exemplary work had left an indelible mark. He termed his party patriarch, the “tallest leader of the country and a Dravidian stalwart.”
“He lived five years short of a century, out of which he contributed 80 years to the public life, fighting for the cause of the downtrodden, backward and the suppressed people. He was an outstanding orator, a prolific writer, a novelist, a short-story writer, a philosopher, a philanthropist and also a dramatist. He was an actor and also wrote scripts for 80 movies,” Siva said enumerating the achievements of Karunanidhi.
He said that Karunanidhi was “unparalleled” and made a mark in all walks of life. “His life cannot be described in words. He was a staunch and untiring soldier. He was fighting till his last breath, for social justice, secularism, state autonomy and self respect.”
“I would urge the government to confer upon him posthumously the Bharat Ratna, which will be a real tribute to his outstanding and exemplary work which had left an indelible mark in the annals of history,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Su Thirunavukkarasar joined the DMK demand for the highest civilian award of Bharat Ratna for Karunanidhi.
In a statement, Thirunavukkarasar said that Karunanidhi was a towering figure in Indian politics and had been the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for five times. Apart from that he had not lost even a single election and was elected to the state assembly 13 times. Apart from politics, he was a great artist, who excelled through his literature and dedicated himself for the growth of Tamil. Through his works he was loved by Tamils all over the world, he said.
He also said that Karunanidhi had dedicated himself for 80 years in politics and determined the fate of Tamil Nadu politics for over 60 years. For such a tall personality in Indian politics the Centre led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi should honour him by giving Bharat Ratna. If Modi government does not give Bharat Ratna for Karunanidhi the future government to be led by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, would give Bharat Ratna for Kalaignar and would honour him, said Thirunavukkarasar.
He further said that in honour of Karunanidhi a bronze statue would be erected for him in Aranthangi in Pudukkottai district. He had further demanded the state government to name an important road after him.
Aug 19 Gen Council meet put off to Sept
Speculation over the elevation of MK Stalin as DMK president has been put to rest as the general council meeting scheduled on August 19, where the major decision was expected to be announced, has now been put off to September. Amid this development, the DMK has called for an emergency executive council meeting on August 14. Party sources said that several key issues would be discussed during the August 14 session. Top on agenda would be identification of site for installation of a statue of Karunanidhi and hold condolence meetings in various parts of the state, sources added. The deferred general council meeting will be held along with the Mupperum Vizha next month.
In the emergency council meeting, a resolution is likely to be passed to elevate Stalin to the post of party president, said the sources.
People continue to pay respects
People from across the state, actors and supporters of Karunanidhi continued to visit the place where he was interred. Noted poet Tamizhachi Thangapandian, along with her family members paid respect to Karunanidhi and said that his death is a huge loss to the nation. Actor Karthi visited the memorial and said that Karunanidhi was one of the great personalities of our generation. “He was very close to my family and one of his qualities that I admire most was that he would remember every single name and would inquire about them and their family whenever he meets us,” said Karthi.
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