PMK calls for renaming of Pondy town

Puducherry, Mar 29 (UNI) PMK Parliamentary party leader M Ramadass has called upon the party legislators to initiate steps to rename Pondicherry town as Puducherry during the current Budget Session of the Territorial Assembly.

Participating in a function to celebrate the birth centenary of Tamil scholar and poet Puduvai Sivam here last night, Prof Ramadass said he had taken much pain to get the Union Territory named as Puducherry.

However, the ruling party had again changed the town's name to 'Pondicherry' which, he said, ''was a wrong deed.'' Prof Ramadass also ridiculed the administration ''for not devolving powers to the local body representatives.'' He also recounted the efforts of party founder-leader S Ramdoss in getting classical language status to Tamil.

Speaking on the occasion Dr Ramdoss, who was also present, regretted that the Tamils in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were speaking ''adulterated'' Tamil with a mix of English.

He said the recommendations to ensure the development of the language, received from Tamil scholars during a recent meeting, would be handed over to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi shortly.

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