2009 to be celebrated as Anna's centenary year across TN

Chennai, Mar 20 (UNI) The Tamil Nadu Government has decided to celebrate the birth centenary of Dravidian stalwart and former Chief Minister C N Annadurai next year in a grand manner.

Announcing this while presenting the budget proposals for the year 2008-09, Finance Minister K Anbazhagan said the birth centenary would be celebrated without political differences, and the greatness of Anna, as he was fondly called, would be proclaimed to the world.

''We consider the opportunity to celebrate this great leader's centenary in a year when we are the ruling party, as a great privilege bewtowed upon us,'' Mr Anbazhagan said.

He said though Anna was at the helm of government only for two years, he had the distinction of having governed in a manner that demonstrated the majesty of democracy to the entire world.

It was in those two years that Anna changed the name of the state as Tamil Nadu. It was also during this two year period that Anna, troubled at the prospect of Tamil being destroyed by the domination of other languages, had announced that only Tamil and English would be used in the state.

Driven by the ideal of social reform, the two-year period witnessed the enactment of the legislation in the State Assembly making self respect marriages legal.

He announced that the year 2009 would be celebrated as Anna's centenary year throughout Tamil Nadu in order to highlight his greatness and familiarise the younger generation with the message of this great personality.

UNI WS ROY SR KN1758