Jayalalithaa's name should be recommended for Nobel Prize

Chennai, Jan 9: Senior AIADMK leader and Deputy Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, V Jayaraman, suggested that late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's name be recommended for the Nobel Prize in the light of her scheme to prevent female infanticide in the state.

Jayaraman was speaking in the Tamil Nadu Assembly while participating in the motion to thank the Governor for his address to the House on Monday. Referring to the 'Cradle Baby Scheme' launched by the former AIADMK supremo as Chief Minister in 1992, he said the initiative was even lauded by Nobel Peace Prize winner, the late Mother Teresa.

He recalled that the scheme, which was initially launched in Salem, was expanded across the state in a phased manner and claimed it had resulted in a better sex ratio.

Launched during Jayalalithaa's first term as Chief Minister (1991-96), the 'Cradle Baby Scheme' allowed women to hand over their newborns to the government anonymously, to be cared by the State. It was launched to prevent female infanticide, which was rampant in some parts of Tamil Nadu then.

"Tamil Nadu will not forget Amma (Jayalalithaa), who launched the Thottil Kuzhanthaigal Thittam (Cradle Baby Scheme) which was appreciated by Mother Teresa. Tamil Nadu (government) should recommend Amma's name for Nobel Prize," he said.

PTI