TN Govt to install 95 ft tall statue of Periyar: Karunanidhi

Chennai, Dec 3 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu goverment would install a 95 ft high statue of rationalist leader Periyar E V Ramasamy, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has announced.

Accepting Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani's plea to this effect at a function here last night, the Chief Minister said the government would take steps to install the statue, unmindful of whatever opposition to it.

Mr Veeramani, responding to the felicitations offered to him on the occasion of his 75th birthday, requested the Chief Minsiter to install the statue, not less than 95 ft in the city or Mahabalipuram or Pazhaverkadu or on the East Coast Road.

Responding to this, Mr Karunanidhi said he had no doubt that the installation of a 95-ft high statue would help to spread fast Periyar's rationalist ideals throughout the country.

''If the eight or ten ft high statue of Periyar could help to spread his rationalist ideals so fast, the 95-ft high statue would definitely help to spread the ideals faster,'' he said.

The statue, if installed, would become the second highest statue in the state after the 133 ft monolith statue of Saint poet Thiruvalluvar, installed by the previous DMK government on a rock near Vivekananda Memorial in Kanyakumari.

Mr Karunanidhi also conceded Mr Veeramani's other demand of providing pension for those who laid down their lives or fought in the struggle against casteism in the state.

The financial assistance for those involved in the fight against the caste system in the state would be a reward for Periyar's policies against casteism, Mr Karunanidhi said.

UNI