Tamil scholar to get monthly pension for life time

Chennai, Mar 17 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today ordered a monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to Oduvar Arumugasamy, who had recited Thevaram hymns at the famous Lord Nataraja temple at Chidambaram, after a long struggle.

The State Government had decided to honour the Tamil scholar with life time pension, in recognition of his resolve to recite Tamil hymns in temples, an official release here said.

He was given the pension under the scheme to distribute financial assistance to Tamil scholars, the release said.

Arumugasamy, an expert in reciting Thevaram Tamil hymns with tunes, faced stiff opposition from priests of Lord Nataraja temple when he led a group of Tamil scholars to recite hymns in Tamil.

In the ensuing clash, he was attacked and jailed after police registered cases against the temple priests and Tamil scholars.

He was, however, released the next day on the orders of the Chief Minister.

A couple of days after he was released from the prison, a local daily had carried a picture of Arumugasamy taking alms at a busy road in Chidambaram.

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